According to the United Nations Population Fund, up to seven million South African girls do not have access or cannot afford sanitary products, and have no other option but to stay at home and miss school.
Many report using old clothes and newspapers as sanitary pads.
This is what Patty Ogle and her team from the Ogle Foundation NPC hope to eliminate as much as possible. This foundation is a Roodepoort-based non-profit company run by many dedicated volunteers who aim to provide support, help and development opportunities to less fortunate members of the community.
On Thursday, September 9, Patty and her team paid a special visit to Unified Public School’s Grade 7 girls – and they didn’t show up empty-handed. Each one of the 104 girls was gifted a pack of 20 sanitary pads.
“After opening with a short prayer for the school and surrounding communities, we gave a little talk about hygiene to the girls as to how they should take care of themselves while they are menstruating. The school was very welcoming and very appreciative,” she said.
According to the teachers, the need for such hygiene items is great as most children come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We want to thank Grind Foundation Trust, Golden Harvest Evangelical and Tan, as well as the James Downham family for their continued, unwavering support. Without them we would not be able to do our work,” Patty said.
Grade 7 learner, Siyanda Madinane subsequently expressed her thanks on behalf of all girls who attended the talk, saying she trusted that all her friends have benefited greatly from the Ogle Foundation’s visit.
