Man touched by girls’ plight

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
MR GIBSON Mwinde, a 31-year-old man from Binga says he is touched by the plight of many rural girls who miss or drop out of school because they cannot afford sanitary pads.

Mr Mwinde who hails from Sinakoma area, has established a Trust whose vision is to provide reusable sanitary pads to girls.

He targets to reach out to 3 000 girls across Matabeleland North province by year 2025.

Mr Mwinde’s Zimbabwe Education Fund Trust (Zimefu) is working with four schools in Lupane District after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kusile Rural District Council last year and already 40 boys and girls are benefiting.

Besides pads for girls, Zimefu also provides stationery and pays school fees for needy children.

Mr Mwinde said he decided to start a Trust after seeing that some girls were failing to get sanitary pads resulting in them dropping out of school.

He becomes one of the few men that have stood up in support of women sexual reproductive health at a time when cultural and traditional beliefs dissuade some men from being actively involved.

Mr Mwinde says it is the duty of every citizen including men to help women live a dignified life.

The Trust is striving to assist the girl so that she is not disadvantaged by the cost of sanitary pads.

Reusable pads last for three years and are ideal compared to the disposable ones that cost more than US$1 for a packet.

“I am from remote Binga in Sinakoma area. I have seen many children failing to go to school or struggling to raise money for sanitary pads. I remember when we were in Grade Seven, one girl was on her menstrual periods and she stained her dress in class. It pained me until in 2019 I decided to start an organisation to help girls access pads because I want them to have dignity. People may not understand why a man would do such a thing but we should be concerned as men and be the first to dignify women,” said Mr Mwinde.

He said he started in Lupane because their council was the first to respond to an application for an MoU.

“We are targeting the whole province and we are starting with Lupane as we wait for a response from Binga Rural District Council who we have also approached for an MoU. We don’t have donors at the moment hence we are getting help from well-wishers. It is my desire to cover all districts in the province. So far we are working with Mzola Primary School, Sibambene, Somanjonyane and Gwayi secondary schools in Lupane where we are providing pads, stationery and paying school fees for 20 boys and 20 girls.

“We have crafted a strategic plan for the period 2021 to 2025 and we target to reach 3 000 girls by 2025. As an organisation we envision a world in which every child in Africa is educated and groomed in mitigating poverty. We realised that disposable sanitary wear is expensive and we partnered PadUp Zimbabwe who have trained 40 women and girls in making reusable pads which can last for three to five years,” he said.

Mr Mwinde said the Trust has acquired land in Lupane where plans are underway to build a factory to make reusable pads with a view to supply the whole country.

Members of the community have welcomed the Trust and the project saying it will go a long way in empowering disadvantaged members of the society.

One of the beneficiaries of the project Mrs Brenda Moyo-Ngwenya (35) from Lupane Centre, who is also involved in the training of women on how to make the pads, said reusable pads will provide a cheaper way of maintaining menstrual hygiene.

“This will also encourage people to talk about menstrual issues since boys and men are also part of the training programme. This also creates an environmental awareness since reusable pads are environmentally friendly because none of the material is thrown away unlike with the ordinary disposable pads. This is a new phenomenon that our children should embrace as it enhances their education and livelihood,” said Mrs Moyo-Ngwenya.

Ms Sindisiwe Thebe (36) from Mhlahlandlela Village also in Lupane said: “We have been trained to make an impact in the community and help especially the orphaned and vulnerable children who cannot afford the disposable pads. Reusable pads are reliable and can be used up to four to five years. They increase confidence among girls.” — @ncubeleon