THE PROJECT
OUR SUCCESSES
OUR SUCCESSES
11,430
WOMEN EDUCATED
1,048
WOMEN REFERRED FOR ASSISTANCE
472
WITNESSES TRAINED STATEWIDE
407
COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS DELIVERED
The Witness Project has been successfully implemented in South Carolina because of strong collaborative efforts of the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Community Network at the University of South Carolina, the State Baptist YWA Health Ministry, Clemson University, South Carolina Cancer Alliance, the Best Chance Network, the American Cancer Society, Lowcountry Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Second Chance Cancer Support Group, and the South Carolina Department Health & Environmental Control.​
The Witness Project® is a community and faith-based breast and cervical cancer education program. The purpose of the Witness Project® is to educate and raise awareness about breast and cervical cancer and to increase participation in breast and cervical cancer screenings among women.
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The South Carolina Witness Project was started in Greenville, SC, in January 2008 with funding from the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Community Network at the University of South Carolina. The training was led by the original Witnesses from Arkansas.
Community volunteers are trained as Lay Health Advisors and Witness Role Models. Lay Health Advisors are women who want to work with the project to organize and publicize programs, network with the community, give facts about breast and cervical cancer, answer questions about available services, and teach Breast Self Awareness (BSA). Witness Role Models are women who are breast or cervical cancer survivors that witness about their triumph over cancer; their presence as survivors is seen as a blessing and proof that cancer is not a death sentence. Funding for screening is provided by the Department of Health and Environmental Control through the Best Chance Network, SC's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.
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