To educate young girls about menstrual cycles, Glen Austin High School (GAHS) together with Sakhowakhe visited Obuhle Foundation in Rabie Ridge.
They distributed sanitary pads to about 150 young and old people who had come in droves to Darker Park. Despite the chilly weather conditions coupled with rain drizzles on September 27, some young girls shared their experiences and advised each other.
Sakhowakhe School Foundation CEO Shadi Laka said the sanitary pad initiative’s primary aim is to restore the dignity and self-esteem of girl learners.
Laka added that the objective of the donations is to also empower girl learners by ensuring that they do not miss a single day of schooling due to a lack of adequate sanitary protection. “Through our sanitary pad initiative, we are complementing the United Nations’s efforts to protect and promote the interests of the girl child. We are taking the well-being of the girl child particularly seriously and helping needy girls to go to school without worrying about their monthly cycle,” said Laka.
She said several studies have revealed that some female learners miss school for at least four days a month due to their monthly cycle.
“This hurts their education to the extent that some even drop out of school as a result of this. I would also like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to our partners at GAHS, principal, teachers, parents and learners, who contributed towards the success of this laudable initiative,” added Laka.
Buhle Mateko, founder of Ubuhle Foundation said: “Our foundation seeks to help underprivileged young girls and orphans. Today was a successful day where we brought many girls together and spoke about reproductive health. We are hoping to do more work with Sakhowakhe as we are always out looking for underprivileged girls in various communities and schools, then offer our assistance.”
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