Sandton-based non-profit organisation Elevate Her Africa has launched an initiative aimed at collecting 36 000 sanitary packs to provide 2 000 women and girls with menstrual products for a year.
For thousands of women and girls, menstruation is a normal part of life. But when sanitary products are unaffordable, a routine monthly cycle can become a source of anxiety, embarrassment and difficult financial choices.
Read more: Should sanitary products be free?
According to founder and president Marie Joelle Kasongo, the campaign began with an unexpected conversation with a woman who cleans shebeens and corporate offices.
The woman spoke to Kasongo about the amount of toilet paper she found discarded in bathrooms, prompting Kasongo to ask why women were using toilet paper as an alternative to sanitary products. That question became the catalyst for the campaign.
Kasongo said no woman or girl should have to put her dreams on hold because she cannot afford a sanitary pad.
“No access to sanitary products can mean attending school without fear or embarrassment for a girl. For a working woman, it can mean going to work with confidence rather than worrying about whether she has enough products,” she said.
Kasongo is calling on individuals, businesses, schools, churches and community organisations to support the campaign through donations, sponsorships and collection drives.
“A sanitary pack may appear to be a small contribution. But for the women and girls the campaign hopes to reach, its impact can be much bigger, offering confidence, dignity and one less obstacle standing between them and their dreams,” she said.
Also read: Sanitary pads now zero VAT rated
“At Elevate Her, we believe that when communities come together, we can help remove the stigma surrounding menstruation while ensuring that women and girls have access to the products they need.”
Details: Contact Marie Joelle Kasongo on 062 768 4950, email [email protected] or visit backabuddy.co.za.
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