Tashatha JSS students receive sanitary pads
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday April 4, 2017 15:54
The campaign was launched last year around November as part of the Miss Francistown winner, Kesego Mabalane’s project of reaching out to the community.
#KeepingGirlsInSchool campaign made its first donation of over 240 pads in Shanganani JSS at Tsamaya village.
The donation made to Tashatha JSS took place last Friday and was in partnership with Curves Gym and Francistown United Congregation Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA).
When officiating at the handover Mabalane said that the #KeepingGirlsInSchool campaign is devoted to offering every necessity to every girl-child so that they do not fail to attend school.
She said that when she participated in the Miss Francistown pageant she wanted to bring change and empower every girl-child hence she was tasked to request for donations of sanitary towels from different stakeholders, which still remains a challenge to most of the adolescent girls.
“The campaign was dedicated to collecting sanitary towels for local secondary schools because adolescent girls are forced to miss school during their menstrual cycle because they don’t have sanitary pads,” she said.
Mabalane further added that some of the girls end up using toilet paper, a piece of cloth and newspapers as alternatives to sanitary pads, which is very unhygienic.
Mabalane said that students should not be shy when they are experiencing their periods and are in need of sanitary pads but rather reach out for help from their guidance and counselling teachers than miss school.
She pleaded to the community to donate sanitary pads so that girls do not have to skip school, which is the most powerful tool for building their future.
“As we all know that menstruation is not by choice but by nature, girls should be given free pads than suffer the humiliation of missing school,” she said.
“Through our partners we managed to collect over 270 sanitary pads from the community and different organisations. The donors were very enthusiastic in assisting to keep our girls at school,” she said.
Tati Siding clinic youth nurse, Refilwe Pholo Lobakeng gave educational talks on personal hygiene and sexually transmitted infections (STI). She said that hygienic tips during one’s cycle include washing regularly two to three times a day to avoid unusually odour from the private parts.
Lobakeng also encouraged the students to only stick to one brand of sanitary towels during their menses because mixing different brands could lead to one developing a small rush around their genital parts.
The youth nurse further said that pupils should also avoid using scented pads, which usually lead to skin irritation.
“Skin irritation on the female parts could end up developing into sores which often lead to ulcers. If you do not seek medical attention when experiencing such it could cause STIs,” she said.She said that students are tricky and do not seek help from the clinic or their parents until the situation worsens.
She urged parents to sensitise their children about menstruation, its effects and that they should also monitor their children’s menstrual cycles, but above all they should give them love so that they could be open with them.
For her part Tashatha JSS school head, Christmas Gadzani said that they are very thankful and happy for the sanitary pads.
Gadzani added that in the past they experienced some of the students who would abscond from school because they do not have sanitary pads.