Durban The Greenwood Park Community Policing Forum Youth Desk has started a programme to fight against period poverty that affects girls’ schooling.
The three-month Women Outreach Programme will distribute sanitary pads and toiletries until August, with the aim of reducing the number of girls who miss their classes because of not having access to sanitary pads and other products.
Youth desk chairperson Ashlin Ellan said they decided to intervene by supporting young girls after noticing a large number of female pupils were absent from school within their neighbourhood because of a lack of basic toiletries and sanitary pads. The programme is still in the first phase of collecting the items from people and organisations interested in donating.
“We are targeting underprivileged pupils in the Greenwood Park and surrounding areas. Our aim is to assist a minimum of 1 000 girls in our community and we hope to reach the target if more organisations do collaborate with us. For now, we are working with Green Buddies Environmental Club and UKZN Westville Campus Hindu Students Association, but hope to get more sponsors to help us drive the initiative.
“One of the biggest goals of the forum is to empower our community. And we hope this initiative will make a huge difference in lives of young girls struggling to access these basic needs,” said Ellan.
The organisation is also collecting items such as toothbrushes, face towels, face cream and deodorants to be distributed at an educational awareness event. The date is still to be announced.
People interested in donating can drop off the required items to Greenwood Park Shree Ranganathar Temple or contact Ashlin Ellan on 079 025 5291. They can follow green_buddiesenviroclub on Instagram for further details.
The Independent on Saturday