EMPOWERING young women to reach their full potential was the order of the day when the Daughters of Hope Outreach Ministry visited Durban Girls’ Secondary School on Friday with arms full of gifts.

The youth-led group from Glenwood Community Church donated around 1000 sanitary pads to learners at the school near the Durban CBD.

From June 21 to July 31, Daughters of Hope ran a sanitary pad drive with one mission in mind: “to make sure that no girl child is left behind”.

Daughters of Hope member Penny Ragwan said she knew all too well the impact of having to go without sanitary products.

Also Read: Daughters of Hope launches sanitary pad drive for schoolgirls

“I was once such a girl many years ago, so I know what it means to go without. I know what it means not to have sanitary pads and not to go to school during important days because, when your menstrual cycle comes, you do not have the means to protect yourself.

“So, the Daughters of Hope and I wanted to do something to empower and give hope to young girls by giving them a helping hand.”

Having raised enough funds to purchase 1000 sanitary pads for 500 learners, Ragwan said the group wanted to show the girls that people cared about them.

“We believe that children need to go to school, and we are aware that a lot of girls do not go to school during their menstrual cycle because they do not have sanitary pads,” said Ragwan.

Also Read: Church raises more than R900 for charity at Glenwood Christmas market

“We wanted to show them some love and let them know that we care about them and are willing to step in with support.”

The drive also received support from community members, including 10-year-old Deeveesha Shriaya Pillay and her mother, Vijay Pillay, who raised R3400 towards the initiative.

“It such a blessing to be part of the drive,” said Vijay. “I feel so happy inside because we were able to help,” added Deeveesha.

The donation was welcomed by Durban Girls’ Secondary School principal, Anele Mkhize, who highlighted the challenges faced by learners since the Department of Education’s sanitary pad programme came to an abrupt halt.

“Our learners were benefitting from the programme, and now it’s an everyday struggle. On a daily basis, we have around 15 learners coming to the office to ask for sanitary pads, so this donation will definitely go a long way. We are truly grateful to Glenwood Community Church and appreciate the initiative.”

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here