TOUCHING 100 LIVES - Dignity Dreams

--:--
“Girls’ education is the single best investment that any society can make.” – Carol Bellamy.

In Africa, the decision whether to buy a loaf of bread to satiate a grumbling stomach or a sanitary pad to manage a young girl’s period is commonly made amongst households struggling to survive. More often than not, the stomach wins.

In our more immediate community, a recent study of the Kya Sands Informal Settlement indicates that of the 5525 dwellings of which the minimum average is four people per dwelling, 70% of the women are unemployed, 60% of whom are single parents, meaning they cannot support their families.

Not only do the community not have access to nearby clinics for primary health care education, but the monthly cost of sanitary pads is also just too high, and the girls and women end up using newspaper, old rags or anything else available which often leads to infection.

In many cases, girls who start their menstrual cycles have no idea of what is happening, and instead of embracing their womanhood, they are often left frightened and feel a sense of shame.

Hot Cares has identified about 100 young women in the Kya Sands informal settlement to reach out to.

After having researched many options regarding cost-effective, sustainable menstrual health solutions for these ladies, Hot Cares found Dignity Dreams to be the ideal solution. Dignity Dreams manufacture and distribute sustainable, eco-friendly, washable pads to young girls and women. Each pack contains 6 washable pads, and one pad is equivalent to 144 disposable pads over the 48 month period they last.

Hot Cares has arranged a menstrual health care talk in the vernacular language of the ladies in the community. Each young lady will receive a lovely bag containing six washable pads (equivalent to 4 years of sanitary pads), Zip Lock Bag, Multi-Lingual Instruction sheet and some toiletries; giving them a completely sustainable solution to their monthly challenge for a total value of R16 000.

Hot Cares – M
16 Jul 2018 English South Africa Government · Technology

Other recent episodes

TOUCHING 100 LIVES - MOSES ROMBAYI & LEX NELL.

Lexi Nell, a Grade 7 pupil at a primary school in Bryanston was given a school project to interview a business in the Fourways area. Lexi chose to interview an informal trader, Moses Rombayi . One of nine children, Moses lost his mother at the tender age of 13 years…
2 Jul 2018 10 min

TOUCHING 100 LIVES - ELVINE DUPLOOY

Elvine Duplooy is a student at the Hot919FM Radio Academy. During 2012 & 2014 she had two operations, and during the second one, Gynae discovered some damage making it hardly impossible to conceive. The saying "life begins at 40" was an understatement when Elvine found out she was pregnant. Elvine…
3 Jul 2018 7 min

TOUCHING 100 LIVES - MARIE HOME

For over 34 years, Marie Goss has opened up her heart and her home to abandoned and abused children. As part of our “Touching 100 lives campaign”, #HotCares received a few nominations asking for assistance for Marie's Home for Abandoned Kids. One nomination was from Nicky who came into contact…
2 Jul 2018 5 min

TOUCHING 100 LIVES - HUSKY HEAVEN

Hot Cares received an email from Jade Dickson nominating Husky Heaven Rescue for assistance as part of the Touching 100 Lives campaign. Husky Heaven started in March 2015 and have since rescued over 250 huskys, many from cruel circumstances. Programmes have also been implemented to raise awareness about animal cruelty…
2 Jul 2018 4 min