It takes courage to take the first step in making a difference in your community and that is what Liyanda Hlongwane did. She stars in Isibaya, a weekday soapie portraying the character of Yaya. But when she is not in front of the camera, she visits different schools to encourage young girls to stay in school no matter the hardships; she also donates sanitary pads to the female learners. Her latest visit was at F.H Mkhabela Secondary School on Monday, November 7.
Under her non-profit organisation named Assaggi Girls Foundation, Liyanda is the epitome of women empowerment. She started this project in KwaZulu-Natal and when she travelled around the country she realised the problem is a national crisis.
Liyanda Hlongwane visiting F.H Mkhabela Secondary School on Monday, November 7 to donate sanitary pads to the female learners.
“I have been doing this drive from August, and so far the response has been exceptional.”
She wants to groom young girls to be professionals and depend on their education to succeed in life rather than their beauty. She believes there are no short cuts. If you want something done, you have to go about it in a correct manner.
“I asked myself how I can keep female learners in school during that time of the month as numerous girls miss classes due to the lack of sanitary pads. I feel no girl must go through it, if condoms can be free surely sanitary pads can be made a priority too.”
With the foundation she went to Ermelo and will soon be heading to Queenstown, it is growing slowly but surely. Sobahle Hlatshwayo is the woman that assisted Liyanda in identifying the secondary schools. This comes after Sobahle approached Liyanda after seeing constant posts about her foundation on Instagram. She immediately thought of some of the female learners in a school that is a few metres away from her that are going through the same issue.
“I inboxed her and told her about my story of seeing a group of girls on their way going home saying that their stay at school was uncomfortable due to them not having sanitary pads and boys laughing at them. That deeply touched me so when I saw Liyanda’s posts I knew I had to invite her to the school and I had to be part of the change as well.”
Sobahle wishes to continue doing this at least once a month at different schools in and around eMalahleni.
