Engen joins forces to care for young girls

TEAMING up with the Caring4Girls initiative, Engen visited three schools in south Durban to ensure that no female learners miss any school days ahead of their final exams.

By supporting the Imbumba Foundation’s Caring4Girls initiative, Engen provided female learners with sanitary towels to help keep them in school during their monthly cycles, for the fourth year.

About 2 000 hygiene hampers were donated to learners at Wentworth, Fairvale and Umbilo secondary school’s.
Engen’s latest pledge of R1.5 million takes its total support over the past three years to R3.5 million, with about 24 065 female learners receiving support in the three years, to date.

The 2022 campaign will reach a further 14 000 female learners at 22 schools, across all nine South African provinces.
Research shows that underprivileged girls miss up to 50 days of school per year due to inaccessible feminine hygiene care.
Engen’s managing director and CEO, Seelan Naidoo, said, “We cannot thrive as a society if some of our female learners are left behind because they are unable to attend school due to feminine hygiene issues, which is why we are proud to partner with the Imbumba Foundation and contribute to this meaningful initiative.”

Imbumba Foundation’s CEO, Richard Mabaso, says the Caring4Girls programme creates a voice for girls in addition to distributing sanitary materials.
“Caring4Girls also provides health education on puberty and adolescence, to demystify menstrual related myths and break down societal taboos, while promoting positive body literacy and autonomy, as well as gender equality,” he said.
Mabaso acknowledged Engen for its compassion for the young girls and thanked them for once again for making a generous contribution towards the initiative.

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“Engen really is a brand that steps up where it matters and truly cares about the less fortunate. We are extremely excited that Engen has once again agreed to partner with us because together we will touch and inspire many young girls’ lives.
“As a long-time supporter of education and related social initiatives, Engen recognises that education remains a key enabler to help transform lives of those living in less fortunate circumstances.

“By supporting these young girls, we will ensure that their dignity is retained and that they never have to miss school because of their monthly cycles,” added Mabaso.
“Engen is keenly aware that access to quality education and gender equality is everybody’s business, and that it owes it to its employees, customers, and broader society to make every effort to drive positive change,” said Naidoo.