K2K on a mission to beat ‘period poverty’
Non-profit organisation “Komani”, the award-winning social enterprise under The Umtshayelo Foundation, will embark on a road trip to the town of Komani to deliver 10,000 reusable sanitary pads to girls along the way.
Its K2K campaign – Komani to Komani (Queenstown) – will also provide girls with education on menstrual hygiene.
The NPO will travel from Cape Town, where it is based, to the Eastern Cape.
The NPO’s members will travel via the N2 to Komani, and will then return on the N1, doing sanitary pad drop-offs along the way.
“This is not just another campaign – it’s a clarion call.
“For two years we’ve heard pleas from schools, and seen the heartbreaking impact of period poverty.
“In September 2024, the K2K movement will roar to life with 10,000 reusable sanitary pads [to be delivered] and menstrual hygiene education [provided] to students along the N2 and N1 highways.
“Join us and together let’s rewrite the story of period poverty in South Africa,” the NPO’s director Stephanie Lamour said.
She said that as of May 2023, more than seven million girls lacked access to period products, “a reality known as period poverty”.
“This silent struggle impacts girls’ education, health, and overall wellbeing, forcing them to resort to unhygienic alternatives or miss school altogether.
“Komani is committed to changing this narrative,” Lamour said.
Komani’s reusable sanitary pads were more than just a product; they symbolised dignity, environmental responsibility, and progress, she said.
These washable and longlasting pads offer a sustainable and affordable solution to period poverty, while simultaneously reducing landfill waste.
Komani, through its production and distribution efforts, also economically empowers previously unemployed women.
“All service providers receive training and skills development to equip them to become part of Komani’s innovative social enterprise and work towards their own economic sustainability,” she said.