THE Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Durban, uMhlanga Ridge, is serving as a drop-off point for sanitary-health donations due to the rising number of girls who are forced to miss school every month when they menstruate.
The goal is to collect 10 000 sanitary towels by the end of November 2023. All sanitary-health products collected will be distributed to school-going girls and young women in need.
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“When I started working in the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal in 2017, where most people come from the rural areas, I discovered when speaking to staff that some children would not attend school during their menstrual cycle due to having no sanitary pads. Many children came from child-headed homes, and most people in the community lived in poverty. I believe that no child should be kept away from school because of this,” said Thuthukile Moloto, general manager of the hotel.
Many girls miss school because of being unable to afford proper sanitary-health products. While the numbers are staggering, hope is not lost as each effort taken plays a role in breaking the menstrual-poverty cycle.
“Learning that young girls are being subjected to stigma, and at times, even miss school due to difficulty in managing their menstrual hygiene, is heartbreaking. Access to menstrual-health products is a basic human right, and this sanitary drive is just one of many ways in which we can ensure that girls go to school with self-confidence,” added Moloto.
For more information or to get involved, visit the hotel in Durban uMhlanga Ridge and speak with the team.
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