Sixty girls at Dr Knack Primary School received a befitting gift on 28 May which was International Menstrual Hygiene Day. The day coincided with Child Protection Week from 27 May to 3 June.
It’s a day when society is encouraged to break the silence and stigma associated with menstruation by talking about it, supporting girls to take menstrual hygiene into their own hands and to campaign for menstrual hygiene to be considered a basic need to assist those without means.
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The girls each received packs of sanitary pads from non-profit organisation, Blessed is The Hand That Giveth and donated by Isabel de Andrade from her family business. The organisation relies on donors to fulfil its aim to ensure girls spend every school day in the classroom.
De Andrade urged all women to lead efforts to ensure menstruation was not an impediment to girls’ education or other engagements essential for their development and future.
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“Society should regard menstruation as a special need for those without means and use appropriate platforms of non-profit organisations to assist them so that they do not lose out on education while menstruating,” she said.
Teacher Nomthandazo Ngidi said they relied on these organisations to assist with sanitary pads for girls from needy families to reduce absenteeism from class on menstruation days. “Those that come would be using unhealthy and uncomfortable options which affect their confidence and concentration,” Ngidi said.
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She expressed the hope that government and corporates would at some point also consider this need.
The organisation’s Philemon Matume urged for individuals and companies to support the initiative in the interest of education and the nation’s future citizens and leaders in the making.
Details: Philemon Matume 063 005 1940.
