Sanitaryware distribution project launched

A LOCAL non-governmental organisation has embarked on a project that distributes sanitaryware to promote menstrual hygiene among young girls and facilitates better success in education.

The organisation, Mirror Image Foundation is funded by individuals from all over the country and is targeting mostly schools from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South.

The development which started this year in May has seen 125 sanitary pads being distributed to five schools which include Tennyson Hlabangana High School, Robert Sinyoka Primary School, Matshayiskhova Primary School, Bethel Primary and High schools.

One of the founders of the organisation Miss Lee-Anne Hall said the sanitary distribution programme aims at facilitating better access to education for female students through sustainable provision of the girl child needs.

She also said the project was meant to eradicate the issue of girls missing four to five days of every month when undergoing menstruation.

“We have realised that most girls miss school for four or five days of every month, this means how much they miss out on hence we thought of starting up an organisation that can help these girls,” said Miss Hall. Miss Hall said through this project they encourage students to work hard. “We feel like the female child also deserves a fair chance of going to school, this project also aims at encouraging them to work hard because we are results oriented, we monitor their progress. We have an awa r e n e s s c amp a i g n which is called Bio-pad campaign whereby a group of five people come together and each contributes a $1 and buy five packets of pads. “Right now we have an awareness campaign which is called Bio-pad campaign whereby girls get into groups and in each group, people are expected to donate a dollar per month which means you get $5 and five girls get to go to school,” she said.