About
Approximately 7 million South African girls do not have access to, or cannot afford to buy, sanitary products, according to the former South African Minister for Women. We at Modern Community Foundation are on a mission to destigmatize menstruation. Stigmas contribute to the problem, as girls are taught to keep their cycles secret and face cultural beliefs that associate menstrual products with loss of virginity. Modern Community Foundation conducts reusable sanitary pad drives at different schools in rural areas. We use this opportunity to have discussions with the youth around feminine hygiene, sexual health, teenage pregnancy and further education and career pathing opportunities.
According to research, up to 30% of South African girls miss school due to period poverty. Girls who miss out on school days may fall behind their male peers academically and miss out on developmental opportunities which may positively impact the girl child's future. In our quest to eradicate period poverty in our country, Modern Community Foundation, in partnership with various international and local partners, have provided access to the Zakhele Re-usable Sanitary Towels to over 200 000 young South African girls and women.
The Zakhele Re-Usable Pad aims to present an opportunity for less fortunate girls and women to have access to an affordable and safe-to-use product which will assist with their levels of confidence in a working or learning environment, whilst simultaneously ensuring that we safeguard our environment as the reusable pad is 5% biodegradable and its packaging is made from re-usable material. Included in the packaging is a tag which is also made from growing paper, this tag has vegetable seeds imbedded within it and can be planted. The Zakhele Re-Usable Pads are SABS approved.
The pads are manufactured in Nelspruit by a team of women, some of whom were recruited from GBV safe houses, and have been trained on how to manufacture the re-usuable sanitary towels.
Mission
Zakhele Re-Usable Pad is on a mission to end period poverty and associated menstruation stigmas within Rural and underprivileged communities. We aim to alleviate the issues caused by period poverty such as low school attendance during a girl's menstrual cycle and to improve the unemployment rate in areas where there is a high unemployment rate among women. This is an effort to empower women by imparting marketable skills that can assist them in becoming independent entrepreneurs.
Vision
Empowering young women through sustainable health care solutions to ensure that girls and women can attend school and work, uninterrupted. Thus, increasing their ability to become economically active within society. Zakhele Re-Usable Sanitary Pad aspires to touch and impact the lives over 1 Million girls by 2030.
