Keeping girls in school

Lack of sanitary towels can lead to a lot of unfair circumstanc- es amongst young girls from rural or disadvantaged back- grounds. Some tend to use alternatives such as toilet paper to stop their flow or miss an entire week of school completely to avoid any sort of embarrassment. I t is because of such issues that two students from Tshwane University of Technology Soshanguve Campus decided to take a stand to lend a helping hand where they could. A sanitary towel drive organized at the State Theater, Ndaheni Restaurant On the 4th of April 2022. 

 

Nkosingzwile Percy Dlhamini (Diploma in Correctional Services and Manage- ment) and Marion Choene Ramoroka (Diploma in Paralegals) are the peo- ple behind the organization of this event. With the help of other students within the institution, friends as well as artist and the audience at large the event was set to be a success.

The aim of the initiative was to find a way to cater for learners who may not have the means to afford sanitary towels whenever they need them. Every- one who pitched for the event had one requirement which was to donate as many sanitary towels as they could, and that would be given to the relevant people anonymously for dignity purposes. The entire event was a fun and informative, the MC was a former studentand Lefa Selepe. 

They had artists from as far as KwaZulu Natal gracing the stage. Dhlamini, one of the organizers was also performing. Some of the artists who involved were Ndlozi, Masai Sepuru, Jozlin Busisiwe Skosana and Clear just to name a few. These artists were more than willing to be part of an initiative that strives to keep girls in school. Dhlamini mentioned that while he was in high school, he knew of a girl who would always miss school when it was that time of the month, and this is one of the reasons why he was dedicated to such a cause. 

This is the second formal pad fundraising project the young gentlemen have been part of, the first one was in 2021 and they had a partnership with Morwa Ramokgopa Foundation (MORAFO). They made sure that even the sanitary towels that were donated after the event reached the relevant individuals. The young men believe that sanitary towels and other sanitary products just tampons should be free, hence they are trying to close out that gap by organizing such an initiative. During 2021 they donated to two schools in the Mpumalanga province, these schools are Highveld Comprehensive School and Takeni Secondary School. 

The donations were more than one hundred pads to the learners, and they also ensured that they entertained the learn- ers while also informing them. This year the aim is to reach more areas in Mpumalanga, Kwa Zulu Natal, the Gauteng province and other parts of the country. They want to reach at least six schools every year to bring about change as well as collaborate with more companies who may be willing to be part of such a life changing event.