adminAnesu Kurebwaseka Correspondent
Simukai Child Welfare, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that seeks to improve the wellbeing of girls, says authorities need to consider introducing reusable sanitary wear to counteract soaring prices for the product.
This, the organisation believes, will help girls, especially those in rural areas. Rising prices of sanitary wear are reportedly causing anxieties to most girls. Simukai director Mrs Barbara Matsanga told The Herald in an interview recently that reusable sanitary wear was the way to go because it was something sustainable and would considerably help girls.
“Most girls, especially in the rural areas, are suffering during their monthly cycles because they do not have money to buy sanitary wear, and in this economy, most people are focusing on providing basic commodities like food and forgetting the needs of the girl child,” she said.
“There seems to be a loophole in educating the community about the importance of sanitary wear, as most people are clouded in ignorance. Most of the girls resort to using cow dung and pieces of cloths, which are not at all hygienic and cause infection. In most cases, girls doing their cycles are absent from school, which sees them missing out on their education and, worse still, in families where the father is the sole breadwinner, it can be difficult for the girls to ask for money to buy the pads or tampons. In the end, they look for alternatives on their own.”
Introducing reusable sanitary wear, she said, was cost effective and sustainable, as they could be used over and over again for a period of time without having to worry about money every month. It is also believed that they would be user-friendly and more hygienic than the methods the girls were forced to resort to.
For the past two years, the organisation has been donating pads to girls in Makoni and Mutare rural districts. Last year, 1 542 girls benefited from the exercise.
Online Reporter