Jenny Laas joined Kindness Like Confetti (KLC) six years ago, two years into the organisation’s existence. Since then she has headed up the Pad Princess Project alongside the founder of KLC Alyson Samson. Samson has subsequently migrated to the United States, however, the non-profit organisation has continued to thrive under the leadership of Claire Duvel.
“I got involved about six years ago, initially helping to sort and pack shop-returned products that we were very fortunate to receive,” said Laas. “The sanitary products arrived, needing to be sorted and separated into tampons, pads and panty liners. We ran the NPO from Alyson’s garage at her home in Linden.”
Laas expressed that once KLC grew in size and as the projects offered expanded, the Pad Princess project required separate attention, ‘due to the immeasurable impact it had on the community’. This was when she stepped in to take charge of this vein of the NPO and the Pad Princess was formed.
Subsequently, Laas has stepped down and made way for the new face of the Pad Princess project, Liza Verburg and remained involved with the NPO in her capacity as a director.
As the leader of the Pad Princess initiative, Verburg collects shop-returned products and receives donations of pads through Facebook campaigns, word of mouth and from corporate donors. Verburg also oversees handovers of the shop-returned sanitary products, sorted and packed by volunteer school girls. The learners assist the organisation in exchange for community hours, which is compulsory in many private schools.
“We then distribute the pads to schools in Gauteng, the majority to other NPOs and organisations who, in turn, make sure the pads go to women and girls in their areas. All we ask is that they supply feedback and pictures of the handouts,” concluded Laas.
Details: www.kindness.org.za; liza@kindness.org.za; KLC mobile phone 072 675 1536.
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