A NEW year means a fight against not only the coronavirus pandemic, but the continuing pandemic of period poverty.
The New Heritage Foundation created a Backabuddy campaign called Ending Period Poverty, to raise funds for the non-profit organisation (NPO) working on the front-lines to donate pads to girls in need.
Founder Chantell Goliath, 37, started the foundation in 2013 to give back to underprivileged areas.
Goliath advocated to end period poverty through her business called Milli Distributions, a distributor of the Glory Pad that arrived in South Africa in 2019.
The bamboo charcoal from the sanitary towel has natural antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antistatic properties, good for female hygiene as well as the environment.
These pads are donated by individuals and businesses which are then distributed through a primary school programme created to educate boys and girls about menstruation.
“Girls not only suffer without pads, but are afraid of spotting on her uniform and end up being made fun of,” said Goliath.
The campaign aimed to create awareness and offer girls pads through the programme. They raised R600 since Friday, but have a target of R500 000.
“When we hand out these pads by New Heritage Foundation or donors donate these pads, girls don't just get the pad, but information about their period. We can end the stigma of a period,” she said.
The organisation did their programme in Lavender Hill, Klipfontein, Mitchells Plain and farms in Philippi, last year.
They asked girls in different schools what they can’t do during their period and the answers were shocking.
“They responded by saying that they can’t drink milk, because they will bleed to death. They also said that they cannot walk barefoot or drink cold beverages, because they could die,” she stressed.
Goliath heard that these girls use newspaper wrapped around tree leaves as a pad, toilet paper or even cloth.
They hope to take their programme online where schools can gather 20 girls for the organisation to conduct training with, this year.
Al-Sabr Foundation, an NPO who supports underprivileged areas situated in Athlone, was one of the Glory Pad beneficiaries, last year.
“One of our ex co-members came across an article with regards to the New Heritage Foundation and they then proceeded to contact Goliath, who willingly assisted us with sanitary pads for a toiletry drive,” said chairperson Zaidah Mitchell.
The organisation handed over toiletry bags which included the pads to Leliebloem House in Belgravia in September, last year.
They managed to put together 35 bags for girls aged between 12 to 17.
In addition to that, they distributed pads to the Red Cross women volunteers aged 20 to 35-years-old, last month.
Another beneficiary of the pads is life coach and nutritionist, Adél Dreyer, in Bredasdorp.
Dreyer's sanitary pad drive to help keep girls in school.
“I am part of a networking group, where I was introduced to Chantelle and through that, donations have been given to me to buy their pads,” she said.
She added that these girls are staying out of school due to their period, and with these donations they can stay in school.
“I can only assume that lockdown had a great impact on them, although school was done at home, during period time they had little to none pads,” said Dreyer.
To donate to the New Heritage Foundation Backabuddy page see: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/end-period-poverty2021
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/end-period-poverty2021