Natasha Diale (20) a resident in Albertskroon and a second-year mining engineering student at the University of Johannesburg has been running a sanitary pad drive since August for the Rainbow Children’s Home.
The home in Westdene houses 14 children, eight of whom are already menstruating. Daile explained, “We have adopted this home as the Women in Mining Forum. Personally, I thought this initiative would be doable and the goal is to supply them with sanitary pads and toiletries. While collecting for these young girls I become aware of the fact that even some of my peers at university aren’t able to afford the pads.
“At the beginning of this year I joined the Women in Mining Forum and yearly we are encouraged to engage in projects that will uplift the community. I head the marketing and fundraising portfolio in our forum and felt that this initiative would benefit many young women.”
Diale has collected about 200 packs of sanitary pads as well as toiletries given for personal hygiene. “Hygiene plays a big role in any woman’s life especially young girls going into adulthood. I have a dream of seeing other woman progress and believe in the importance of personal hygiene in building confidence.”
The collection started in August and Diale will on 20 September hand over the collected items to the home. “Thirty per cent of school girls miss school because they cannot afford pads, I was motivated by being able to help reduce that percentage one girl at a time and improve menstrual hygiene,” ended Daile who wishes to make the sanitary pad drive a success.
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