adminH-Metro Reporter
Girls rights champion, Shamwari Yemwanasikana, joined the rest of the world to commemorate Menstrual Hygiene Day amid calls to end period poverty among rural girls.
Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed on May 28, as a chance to highlight the importance and raise awareness towards menstrual care among young women and girls.
Last Friday, the organisation took its efforts to Mahusekwa, Marondera, where they donated sanitary products, offered free health care services and sexual reproductive awareness to the rural community.
The donation included toiletries and food hampers following reports that some girls have been missing out on school as a result of period poverty.
Speaking during the commemorations, SYS director Ekenia Chifamba, expressed her concern to help rural girls fight period poverty.
“As SYS we believe that every girl child has the right to a clean and safe menstrual care, we are on a mission to reach out to every less privileged girl in rural areas.
“We want to make sure that no girl misses school because they are on their period and can’t afford to buy sanitary pads.
“Our mission is to help as many women and raise awareness on some of the issues faced by girls and women who don’t have access to sanitary products,” said Chifamba.
Chifamba believes more should be done to raise awareness among primary school going girls before they encounter their first period.
“Some of these girls can’t afford buying pads and end up using cotton, dirty rags or cow dung which is not safe for their health.
“This is where we are coming in to offer help and raise awareness so that they don’t encounter any complications,” she said.
She also urged more well-wishers to help end period poverty.
“This is a chance for big corporates to also join us to help these young girls to have proper menstrual care.
“We are appealing for more help so that our less privileged women and girls do not resort to using unhygienic means during their monthly periods,” she said.
During the function, women were also afforded free health care services, sexual reproductive information by experts from Mahusekwa District Hospital.
The donation was held in partnership with Nedbank and Pepfar Zimbabwe.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter