Donation keeps pupils in school
SACP and YCLSA hand out sanitary pads at Nomzamo and Kuyasa schools
Anationwide sanitary pad drive by the South African Communist Party (SACP) and Young Communist League of SA (YCLSA) reached Nemato last Friday when Grade 11 and 12 pupils at Nomzamo Secondary and Kuyasa Combined schools were given muchneeded supplies.
The “Joe Slovo Right to Learn Campaign” saw the stakeholders donate sanitary pads to 146 Nomzamo Secondary pupils and 97 Kuyasa Combined pupils.
Speaking about the campaign, YCLSA district chairperson Siyabonga Jam said: “This is a national programme of the YCL and its mother body and we are ensuring that we roll out and distribute these sanitary pads.“
Jam said pupils should not have to miss school because they were menstruating and their families could not afford to buy sanitary items.
He said most of the pupils they supported at the two schools were from poorer backgrounds.
Jam also highlighted the dilemma faced by disadvantaged families when young girls needed sanitary pads.
“There tend to be two contending views in their homes, which is whether to buy bread and feed the family or to buy sanitary pads for the girl child.
“In most cases, the view that emerges is 'let us buy bread and we will get sanitary pads later',” he said.
This put the dignity of a girl child at risk, Jam said.
According to Jam, Nomzamo Secondary School's academic performance was also taken into consideration in the process of selection.
“We also said let us come to Nomzamo because it has performed well in the past years.
“We want the class of 2021 to continue with that trajectory of performance.
“Even in the district we have seen that Nomzamo is up there.
“We said let’s come and encourage this class as well,” he said.
Nomzamo principal Andile Mdana said the pupils and school were extremely grateful for the generous donation.
Mdana added that despite the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the matric class of 2020 had managed to obtain a 68.08% pass rate.
He congratulated all the pupils.