Money raised in ‘Hike for a Girl Child’ campaign to go towards a worthy cause
The Tzaneen Teach a Girl Foundation held a 'hike for a girl child' campaign at the Debengeni hiking trail in Magoebaskloof on Saturday 15 July
LIMPOPO – Tzaneen Teach a Girl Foundation founder, Makoma Maponya, says many girls continue to face challenges during their menstruation periods and this particular challenge should be overcome to ensure that every girl lives with dignity.
In a bid to fight the challenge, the foundation held a ‘hike for a girl child’ campaign at the Debengeni hiking trail in Magoebaskloof on Saturday.
According to Maponya the aim of the campaign was aimed at raising awareness on the issue of young girls missing school because they cannot afford sanitary pads.
Maponya said the fact that there were still several numbers of girls who miss classes during their menstruation periods really affects the future of this country.
“It should be everyone’s business to ensure that girls feel comfortable during their periods so they can attend classes,” said Maponya.
She added they also wanted to raise money which will help them get enough sanitary towels which will be donated to the schools.
“As we do this every year, our last year’s donation only sustained each young girl for three months and this was clearly not enough to have a long-term impact on the amount of learning that these girls were missing out on,” she added.
“This led to the idea of sustainability through expanding the initiative and coming up with other solutions for the girls. By introducing the campaign we believe that we can have an active involvement from the people of Tzaneen and Polokwane,” she said.
She further explained that the hike fits perfectly into the campaign’s vision and mission to educate and empower young girls.
“Walking long distances to school also remains a challenge to the girls during their periods and that needs serious attention. It is crucial that our girls have comfortable sanitary towels rather than being forced to use newspapers and old cloths,” she reiterated.
Debengeni mountain guide, Nyiko Masango, described the campaign as a worthy initiative to improve the lives of young under-privileged girls.
“It was a tremendous success and the biggest group we have ever had. We believe their success will make a difference in their communities.”
The Tzaneen Teach a Girl Foundation managed to raise a total amount of R4 500 which, according to Maponya, will be used to buy moon cups and sanitary towels that will be donated to several schools in the Tzaneen area.
