Qaba drives sanitary towel project
Woman’s once-off project turns in to a mission to help
WHEN Amanda Qaba decided to help out a group of underprivileged female students at her college with sanitary towels last year, she thought it would just be a “once-off” project.
But now she has made it her mission to ensure that every schoolgirl in the Eastern Cape does not miss a day of schooling when they menstruate.
Growing up in a comfortable home, the only time the 25-year-old, third-year civil engineering student at King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Technical and Vocational Training and Education College in Mthatha felt embarrassed about her own body was in high school at the age of 14.
At the time, Qaba had just experienced her first period while in class and had to phone her father to come and fetch her.
“I was only 14 and in Mthatha High when the ‘red robot’ hit and to be released at school I had to tell my dad what the problem was,” she said.
“I didn’t know what to do or what to say to him so I kept on saying ‘dad I had an accident’ but was unable to say what kind of accident. Eventually, after several attempts, he got the picture and came for me.”
But if she thought this was the last time she would have to worry about the dreaded “red robot”, she had another thing coming.
This time, it was in 2014 when she and other members at her Rhema Umtata Christian Church hosted a Christmas party for some disadvantaged people.
In the group were about 13 orphaned youngsters and among them a 20-year-old girl who Qaba later befriended.
“When you work closely with people you develop a special bond and she told me things that they need as we used to give them groceries.
“Guess what, she included sanitary towels in their list of needs as girls,” said Qaba.
She decided to do her own research as it was about the same time that the issue about the need for free sanitary towels in schools went viral on social media.
Added to that, the fact that she had felt embarrassed about her own body after her first period, Qaba decided to address the situation, with her close friends Trudell Mthembu, 24, Athi Gubudela, 25, and Sesethu Matroshe, 23.
First Qaba engaged her school management, which managed to donate R7 000, which she used to buy sanitary towels for students at her own school.
The friends also managed to secure a donation of around R1 500 which they used for the same purpose. She said she had read stories about how young girls were sometimes forced to miss school because of their periods.
“Menstruation is not a sickness, nor it is a disease, but a natural phenomenon.”
At her college about 90% of the girls come from very poor backgrounds and cannot afford to buy sanitary towels.
It was around that time that Qaba decided to start her own campaign, which she christened “Keeping a girl-child in school”.
She says there had been a lot of interest in it with people willing to help her and her friends.
But instead of asking for money, all they ask is for someone to buy the sanitary towels themselves and hand them over to them.
She believes that her “giving side” was inherited from mother, adding that even her friends called her “mother”.
Her campaign is now targeting more schools, especially those in rural areas.
In order to help more young girls, Qaba and her friends want to work at shops in Mthatha in exchange for sanitary towels as payment. “We rely on donations but it’s unacceptable that girls have to miss school because of their periods.
“I am hoping to one day register an NGO which we will use to reach all the needy girls across the entire Eastern Cape,” she said. — DO YOU know a selfless person who goes the extra mile for the good of others, a local hero who makes something good out of nothing but a desire to improve the quality of life for the community. That’s the person we would like to meet! Please send your nomination with your local heroe’s name and contact number together with yours to:
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