The Pink Heart Project handed over 500 sanitary pads to Halfway House Primary School on 18 March.
The initiative was founded by City of Johannesburg councillor Michael Sun in February this year. Sun said the idea for The Pink Heart Project began during lockdown last year to assist children from less fortunate backgrounds in the city.
He added that when learners began going back to school, the initiative focused on the donation of sanitary pads to girls in primary school. He approached his sponsors, Honggen Wang and Xiaoping Xu, who were able to organise the sanitary pads from a supplier.
Sun said they aimed to hand out 20 000 pads to schools in various areas, with a quarter of the pads to be delivered to schools in Gauteng and Limpopo. “It’s really important to learn in peace and with dignity,” he said. Ward 132 councillor Annette Deppe assisted the project with the handover to Halfway House Primary.
Deppe said, “These are for the teachers to keep in the classroom, so that when the young girls need one they could ask for them freely.” Deppe added that it was important to get the teachers on board with the project and lead the young girls when it came to menstruation and puberty so that a good and helpful dialogue could begin.
Head of department in life orientation at the school, Yvonne Mashiane said, “We are very grateful for the donation because it really helps the girls because some of them come from unfavourable conditions… “It assists in bringing back their dignity because some of them have to stay at home because they don’t have sanitary towels during their period.”
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