In just six weeks, the #MillionComforts campaign has brought in the targeted total of 3 million sanitary pads, all of which will go to keeping the girl child in school.
The campaign, a partnership between Independent Media, Dis-Chem and the Dis-Chem Foundation, kicked off on June 15 and through the generosity of readers and Dis-Chem shoppers, has amassed more than 300 000 packs.
The 2016 total is double the amount collected during the 2015 drive and will help 25 000 teen girls remain in school for a year when they are distributed by Caring4Girls in sub-Saharan Africa.
Caring4Girls is an organisation that educates young girls on menstrual hygiene and hands out the pads to schools in disadvantaged areas where many teen girls miss up to 12 weeks of schooling a year.
Penny Stein of the Dis-Chem Foundation said reaching the target was an incredible achievement and came during a time when the country mourned the passing of Gugu Zulu, who was raising funds for the same cause.
“This was something very close to Zulu and the very reason he was climbing Kilimanjaro. In the same week he died and we have seen an incredible outpouring of grief, we have also seen immense generosity from the public for his cause,” said Stein.
Zulu died of complications after he experienced breathing difficulties and was rushed down the mountain on the eve of the planned summit of Kilimanjaro.