The Clicks Helping Hand Trust (CHHT), in partnership with the MENstruation Foundation, officially launched an important new initiative. This initiative aims to tackle period poverty at universities across South Africa.
PERIOD POVERTY IN SOUTH AFRICA
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) launched the Students on the Go campaign on 7 August.
It aims to ensure students have access to free sanitary products so they can attend classes and study without interruption.
A significant R2 million has been invested by CHHT to install 30 token-operated sanitary pad dispensers across five universities nationwide.
Fourteen of these dispensers are already active at UWC across its Main, Community and Health Sciences, Dentistry and Mitchell’s Plain campuses.
PROVIDING THE ESSENTIALS
The project ultimately seeks to benefit over 16,300 young women every month by providing nearly 196,000 packs of free sanitary pads annually.
“This is not just a donation. This is a movement,” said Dhevan Pillay, Chairperson of Clicks Helping Hand Trust.
“Menstruation should never be a barrier to education. We want every student to learn, grow and thrive with confidence, dignity and pride.”
The initiative targets universities including UWC, the University of the Witwatersrand, North-West University, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Nelson Mandela University.
PERIOD POVERTY AND HIGHER EDUCATION
At UWC alone, the programme will support 8,400 students and help reclaim over half a million study days lost every year due to period poverty.
Period poverty remains a major social and educational challenge in South Africa, according to NWU.
Siv Ngesi, co-founder of the MENstruation Foundation, stressed its urgency: “Twenty-two million women bleed every month in South Africa.
Eight million women cannot afford sanitary pads. Of those, four million are students. This is a grave injustice. I’m proud to be part of this effort to end period poverty.”
IMPORTANCE OF TANGIBLE SUPPORT
Professor Robert Balfour, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, underlined the importance of tangible support.
“Access to education must be material as well as formal. Students must participate fully, enthusiastically and meaningfully. Students on the Go takes a major step toward this by removing hygiene barriers.”
Former UWC student and Women’s Springbok rugby captain Babalwa Latsha also weighed in. “Thank you to CHHT for saying to students, ‘We see you, we support you, and we want you to win.’”
THE CLICKS HELPING HAND TRUST
Since its establishment in 2011, the Clicks Helping Hand Trust has donated over 750,000 packs of sanitary pads. This makes a lasting impact on the lives of young women nationwide.
The Students on the Go initiative stands as a powerful commitment to ending period poverty in South Africa.
This ensures that no student’s education is compromised by a lack of access to basic menstrual hygiene products.
ARE YOU AWARE OF PERIOD POVERTY ISSUES IN SOUTH AFRICA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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