About 24 girls aged between 14 and 16 at Mariental on Friday received toiletries and sanitary pads through a joint donation by two women and the Clicks branch.
The initiative was started by Brenda Rooi and Petrozette De Klerk to assist the girls with the needed toiletries which were supplemented with hair products by the Clicks Mariental Branch.
Speaking at the handing over, Rooi said they learnt that the girls who are vulnerable are struggling to acquire toiletries and sanitary pads during the COVID-19 outbreak and felt that as women it is their mandate to meet the government halfway.
“Our aim is to break the silence around menstruation and raise awareness of the importance for women and girls to be able to hygienically manage their health, she said.
Rooi added that given the multiple challenges women and adolescent girls face, it is evident that promoting menstrual hygiene management is not only a sanitation matter but also an important step towards safeguarding the dignity, integrity and opportunities of women and girls.
She urged other corporate entities, Non-governmental Organisations and institutions to incorporate menstrual health hygiene in their policies to ensure women and the girl child is treated with dignity.
Natasha Jantze, a grade 9 learner at Empelheim Junior Secondary School applauded the donation and said they are very grateful for the kind gesture.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic, some of our parents have been laid off and struggle to buy us the necessities such as soap and deodorant. We thank you for this kind gesture and believe that others will emulate this gesture,” she said.
The donation included sanitary pads, face cloths, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soap, roll-on, hand sanitizers, and face masks.