Silverstar has positively impacted 652 school girls’ lives with a donation of reusable sanitary protection products at Thathulwazi WR High School, as part of its education-focused and community caring initiatives, and in recognition of the International Day of the Girl Child.
Grade 11 learner Elizabeth Wesi, who is wheelchair-bound, was one of the thrilled recipients.
“Palesa Pads will change my life. Everything will be easier because there is no cost and my family will save money. I use to get burns because of sitting too long in my chair, and changing my pads was difficult. With Palesa Pads, everything will be better.”
The reusable Palesa Pads Starter Flo Kits, that have been donated to all the girls at the high school from Grades 8 to 12, are valued at R250 each. Each kit contains six pads, cleaning materials to wash the pads, and a bucket.
Anneke Potgieter, Silverstar’s Operations Director and Complex GM, said the donation will help to ensure that the girls will not have to miss school during their menstrual cycles due to limited or no access to sanitary products.
“Last year Stellenbosch Law Clinic released research that showed that 30 per cent of South African girls miss school every month because they cannot afford sanitary products.”
She added that with Silverstar’s consistent focus on education aimed at ensuring the chance of a brighter future for young South Africans, investing close on R200 000 in reusable sanitary protection kits should make a difference to the girls’ school attendance, on disposable income within the households (a year’s supply of sanitary products can cost up to R2 200), as well as on the environment because used disposable sanitary products will not be thrown in rubbish dumps or landfills. “Having an effective and manageable system will also contribute towards the girls’ dignity and self-worth, which can go a long way towards boosting their positive outlook on the future.”
Pearl Jofile, Thathulwazi’s Life Orientation Educator, explained that their community is very poor, and several orphaned and vulnerable children attend the school.
“On a monthly basis, the school has been providing pads from the Department of Social Development for a few girls in the schools, but sometimes the neediest girls are omitted because only 180 of the girls could be assisted. Also, sometimes the pads would arrive late and the girls would go without. We appreciate the difference these Palesa Pads will make to our learners. If the girls take care of their new Palesa Pads, they should last a long time.”
Linking the Palesa Pads handover to the International Day of the Girl Child in October adds further emphasis to the importance of girl children being placed on an equal footing with boys in every aspect of life.
The handover sessions to the different grades at the high school entailed educational workshops, instructions on product usage, as well as entertainment to keep the girls engaged and happy.
