With Youth Day soon to be celebrated again in South Africa, Omnia group company BME is supporting a reusable sanitary towel drive as part of its empowerment of girls through education.
“Three out of 10 girls in South Africa still miss school during their monthly menstrual cycle, leading to a significant loss of education of up to 90 days per year,” said Kasturi Adari, BME's GM for Human Resources. “This is a reality no child should face.”
Adari highlighted that the core purpose of the Omnia Group is to enhance life and create a greener future – and an integral part of this mission is creating opportunities for people to grow and thrive. BME’s corporate social investment focuses on education, especially in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
“In celebration of Youth Month and in honour of the youth of June 16, we have launched a Reusable Sanitary Towel Drive aimed at bringing about empowerment, dignity and positive change to our young girls in the communities where we operate,” she explained. “It is critical to ensure that girls do not miss essential school days.”
BME has partnered with Palesa Pads and Afribiz to distribute over 3,000 reusable sanitary towel packs, which are designed to last a girl her entire high school career. They are washable, sustainable and provide a dignified solution for those who cannot afford disposable pads – ensuring they can attend school with confidence even during their menstrual cycles.
“It will take a great deal to shift our society to a place of equal opportunity, but we believe that every little contribution is a step towards giving our youth a better outlook for the future,” she said.
The schools targeted by this initiative are located in various parts of the country namely, Germiston and Fochville in Gauteng, Aggeneys and Pofadder in the Northern Cape, Ogies in Mpumalanga, Mokopane in Limpopo, and Brits in North-West province. The distribution of sanitary packs is combined with awareness talks on menstruation and motivational messages.