THE Imbumba Foundation is working with South32 to support schoolgirls.
Noleen Dube, the manager of corporate affairs in Africa for the mining company, said the initiative recently provided sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene education to girls at East Bank High School in Alexandra, Joburg.
She said research had shown that many girls missed school or dropped out due to a lack of menstrual hygiene support.
“The Imbumba Foundation’s Caring4Girls and Trek4Mandela initiatives tackle this issue by raising funds and awareness, as well as coming up with other practical solutions to help keep girls in school,” said Dube.
She said her company had provided support for the foundation’s work across Mzansi over the past fives years.
“The partnership has helped to deliver about 1,1 million sanitary pads and provided support to 12 000 girls,” she said.
Foundation founder and CEO Richard Mabaso said he was grateful for the support of the company.
“These long-term partnerships allow the Caring4Girls programme to ensure that thousands of girl children are continuously supported when it comes to menstrual health,” he said.
Dube said her company was proud to support local communities and provide practical solutions to challenges.
“Our contribution to the Caring4Girls programme helps to provide support to young girls, helping them avoid disruption to their schooling,” she said.
Dube said the foundation’s programmes were launched almost 10 years ago when Mabaso overheard a conversation between his mother and his niece about the stigma related to menstruation.
“The programme also supports teenage girls in Tanzania, Eswatini, Namibia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Malawi and Botswana. We plan to do more,” she said.
