By: Siyabonga Sithole
JOHANNESBURG - Today, City of Joburg MMC for Health, Ashley Sauls congratulated cleaning product manufacturer Harpic for bringing back the dignity for the people of Klipfontein View in Tembisa.
This follows a new toilet restoration drive initiated by the Harpic team and other stakeholders.
The unveiling of these ablution facilities, which have been restored and given a facelift, happened at a section of Klipfontein View that lacks proper sanitation road infrastructure and where residents often share communal facilities.
These are often in a very bad state of hygiene with children and women forced to bear the brunt arising from sharing toilets.
The area became the second community to benefit from the ‘HarpicforHygieneForHer project following a similar initiative launched in Zandspriut in 2020.
Among those who brought a smile to the residents were actress Mapaseka Koetle-Nyokong of TV show Scandal fame along with Bokang Montjane, Kwesta and musician Brian Themba as well as members of the Arise Community Development organisation who are the drivers of the project as community developers.
Sauls welcomed the initiative saying that they show the importance of hygiene and how central cleanliness is to dignity and self-esteem.
“I am fortunate to be here today to celebrate the work being done by Harpic and the community. We truly appreciate public-private partnerships like these and commend The Hapric Hygiene for Her project which has been developed based on insights, a strong desire to make a difference in communities and to set an example of business as a force for good, playing a part in improving lives in our country.
With the city itself battling with infrastructure and budgetary constraints, Saul said it is important for businesses to strategically align themselves with communities they serve.
“The city recognizes the impact that a project of this nature has on women in so many ways. Firstly, on hygiene- helping women prevent infections that can Arise from poor facilities. This often comes at a cost to families as a whole and also to healthcare infrastructure. So the preventative impact of this facility is potentially enormous,” the MMC said.
Sauls added that the dignity of people and particularly women was important and clean public facilities were instrumental in restoring people's dignity.
“ Finally, but most importantly, is the impact on dignity. Clean facilities make people feel better. Having a positive experience of something so many people take for granted everyday, actually gives people hope with our communities and a more pleasant way to get through their day. A facility like this is a reminder of generosity and care that exists,” he added.
The Harpic Hygiene for Her toilet restoration drive comes ahead of this year's International Day of Action for Women's Health observed globally every year, with the drive being that all women regardless of social status deserve dignity that comes with accessing and using safe, secure and clean public toilets.
Even though strides have been made to realise the ideals of basic sanitation for all, millions of women still dread using public toilets for health related reasons.
“It is a universal truth that women in South Africa dread using public toilets. This truth applies across the entire socio-economic spectrum of women. However, the circumstances of the lower communities can be even more severe. Public and shared toilets in these communities can be unhygienic, unsafe and not suited to women's needs,” Harpic spokesperson Masibonge Mkhize says.