Durban - In celebration of International Menstrual Hygiene Day, the Imbumba Foundation together with their partner, Comfitex, went to Mqhawe High School in Inanda recently to distribute sanitary pads.
The foundation runs “Caring4Girls”, which was established in 2012; it is a menstrual hygiene programme that provides adolescent girls with sanitary pads, menstrual hygiene and puberty education support.
The programme is aimed at addressing the harsh reality that many girls miss school due to poverty. The programme has empowered over 1.5 million girls across South Africa and in neighbouring countries Lesotho, eSwatini, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, and Tanzania.
The foundation is a non-profit entity established by innovative social entrepreneur, Richard Mabaso.
The main focus is bringing social change and economic upliftment to rural and economically marginalised communities in southern Africa, through investing in and mentoring individuals and communities seeking to uplift and empower themselves.
Andiswa Shezi, 17, a matric pupil at the school, said she faced a lot of menstrual challenges and the foundation had helped her see things in a different way as it taught them more about feminine health.
“I always thought there was a certain age that one must reach to start their menstruation but the foundation has taught me that as we are girls, our hormones sometimes differ and it is nothing to be ashamed of. I am willing to take all the information I gathered here to teach those younger than me,” she said.
At the event, Nonhlanhla Mroza Buthelezi, of UKhozi FM, shared her experience as a girl growing up and offered words of comfort to the girls, encouraging them to speak up.
“I had to miss school at times because I didn’t have sanitary pads. I am here to tell you you don’t have to miss school,” she said.
She said the girls could achieve anything if they put their minds to it.
In honour of the foundation’s 10th anniversary, it aims to reach an additional 500 000 girls to make it two million beneficiaries by the end of 2022.
One of the teachers at the school, who asked not to be named, told the Daily News they were grateful for this programme because girls at the school faced the challenges that the foundation was addressing.
Daily News