Free sanitary pads for Nkayi girls

The Matabeleland Ex Students Association this week kicked off a programme of donating sanitary pads to grade seven pupils in the region.

The programme piloted at five primary schools in the Nkayi District saw more than 100 young girls benefiting from the scheme. The programme tagged "I won't miss a period because of a period" comes in the wake of shocking revelations that most rural girls in Zimbabwe fail to attend school for almost a week every month while under going their menstrual cycle.

Zimbabwean women have been making world news headlines on revelation that poverty in the country is making most women fail to afford sanitary pads resorting to the use of horrific things like cow dung and tree leaves during their period. Most young girls decide to stay away from school over their period days as they fear the embarrassment of soiling themselves and the discomfort from the makeshift sanitary pads they will be using.

Addressing female teachers and young girls at the handover ceremony of the pads, project coordinator Ms Winnie Ndebele said that her association has found it necessary to intervene and help the grade seven learners so that they do not miss a single learning period in class because they will be in their period. Zimbabwean statistics has revealed that the Zimbabwean girl child has a higher failure rate than the boys because they miss lessons for a week every month which means they lose 25% of the learning time.

"We want to make sure that none of you girls miss school because you will be going through your special time," said Ndebele.

"We will make sure that we deliver sanitary pads for you every month until you sit for your examinations and pass them," said Ndebele.

Five primary schools in the Nkayi North District Somakhwilili, Tsheli, Saziyabana, Jabulisa and Setshankwe were given the pads in different ceremonies. Speaking at a hand over function at Jabulisa Primary School Projects Officer Ms Sibonokuhle Dube told the young girls that her organisation aims at making sure that the girls retain their dignity and compete with the boys neck for neck in their studies.

"We can not have you lag behind the boys in your education because you miss lessons while in your period. Our organisation wants to make sure that you retain your dignity and match the boys neck for neck in your studies."

The Matabeleland Ex Students Association is an online gathering of former students of Matabeleland schools that make contributions to help learners in Matabeleland Schools prepare for examinations. The aim of the organisation is to help all schools in the region come up with former students associations that will help with the development of the schools and improve on the pass rates in the region.