Ogle Foundation educates girls on the importance of feminine hygiene
Patty Ogle spoke to the girls at Laerskool Florida about the importance of feminine hygiene and said that everyone should be involved in helping each other when struggling.
Ogle Foundation strikes again at Laerskool Florida on October 12 to hand over sanitary towels to the grade 4–7 girls, and to educate them on the importance of feminine hygiene.
Patty Ogle, the founder of the foundation, spoke to the girls in the school hall and shared her story of her having to grow up disadvantaged and having to resort to newspapers, socks, and old pieces of cloth as an aid for ‘that time of the month’.
“Sanitary towels are of critical importance for girls in South Africa for several reasons, menstrual hygiene, education, dignity and self-esteem, health and well-being, and gender equality, for which efforts have been made to address these issues through various initiatives,” Patty said.
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With her foundation, she said that she aims to address these issues through various initiatives and policies as well as with help from other organisations for girls to have access to free or subsidised sanitary towels to keep girls from disadvantaged communities in school.
The Record spoke to the beneficiaries about the feminine hygiene challenges they face, and Mia van der Merwe cited issues of affordability, accessibility, and the cultural taboos that still exist – making it an ongoing concern.
“I’m fortunate enough to be in a position of privilege, not saying that I am not struggling, but I do know of girls around my community who struggle a lot as their families cannot afford to provide them with sanitary pads and it is heartbreaking,” she said.
