#HelpHetta walks the extra mile for needy schoolgirls

With its #HelpHetta Project, Solidarity Helping Hand has been supporting needy schoolgirls for the past seven years.

#HelpHetta supplies parcels, consisting of sanitary ware and hygiene products, to needy schoolgirls so that they don’t have to miss five days of school every month.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic brought South Africa to a standstill, Helping Hand altogether assisted 3 000 girls with this project.

However, the pandemic caused a greater need and 1 432 additional girls who have applied for assistance cannot be assisted.

He said Helping Hand did a research study in 2020 among the girls supported by #HelpHetta Project. The aim of the research was to determine the needs among these girls, and it showed that needy girls require more than just sanitary products.

During a media conference on Wednesday, together with the singer, Monique Steyn, Helping Hand released the latest #HelpHetta research and introduced the new role that the #HelpHetta Project will henceforth play.

“Our research has shown that donations ensure that needy girls do not miss school due to a shortage of sanitary wares. We realised that the need does not stop there and that it entails more than the mere physical need,” said Benette Welman, #HelpHetta’s Project Organiser.

“We need to support our Hetta girls at a holistic level – physically, but also emotionally and mentally.”

Welman said the number of primary school girls who benefit from the project are increasing. With it comes more challenges, such as telling the girls early on about issues such as menstruation and sexual assault.

“Because of greater needs, the #HelpHetta Project will be making a greater effort to address them.

“We cannot do this alone, and we invite the public today to support us with its gifts and talents so that we, as a community, can assist these schoolgirls. We need to develop schoolgirls holistically to ensure a strong next generation of women,” added Welman.

READ MORE: #HelpHetta help meer behoeftige meisies in 2021

René Roux, Helping Hand’s Deputy CEO of Communications, explained that the #HelpHetta Project formed part of the FroueVonds, an initiative of Solidarity Helping Hand.

FroueVonds is intentionally misspelled to reflect its slogan – “Because everything doesn’t always go right”.

“The FroueVonds supports the Hetta girls as soon as they leave school by making interest-free study loans available, creating jobs and supporting and encouraging women in the community.”

Steyn said she is proud to be an ambassador of the #HelpHetta team. The singer, Demi Lee Moore, is also an ambassador of #HelpHetta.

“It is a fund with heart, passion and a clear vision. They are just fantastic! Our young girls need so much more than just the physical amenities you and I take for granted. We need to equip them with the emotional armour necessary to protect themselves and make informed decisions. Every bit helps, you can too.”

Hannie Viljoen, Head of Research at Helping Hand, read the following key points from the report:

– Demographics of the Hetta girls: The majority of girls (38%) supported by the HelpHetta Project is still in primary school and 73% of girls started menstruating between the ages of 11 and 13 years. About 8% of girls had already started menstruating before 10 years of age – this exposes them to the risk of becoming pregnant.

– Housing: Nearly 10% of girls live in a children’s home, an informal settlement (5%) or residence (4%). About 5% of the girls who are part of the HelpHetta Project are raised by a single father.

– State: Although the state has made R157-million available to provide free sanitary pads to Quintile 1-3 schools, 93% of the 107 participating schools receive sanitary parcels only from #HelpHetta.

– Covid-19 lockdown: Until the schools were reopened after a few months, the lockdown prevented 19% of schoolgirls from being able to access sanitary products.

– Lack of funding: For 1 432 girls who applied to the HelpHetta project, there are no funds for assistance. Because of this, these girls still miss 52 school days.

– Greatest socio-emotional need: The girls need motivational talks and encouraging devotionals (88%), information on self-esteem or self-worth (55%), how relationships work (38%) and to develop spiritually (35%).

– Contraception: 15% of the girls need information about contraception.

– Addiction: 12% of those girls indicated that they wanted to learn more about the issue of addiction and its management.

The full report can be viewed on Helping Hand’s website.

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