The Sunday News
Nohlelo Mlilo, Sunday News Reporter
A BINGA philanthropist has taken it upon herself to address the needs of the poor girls in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North Province by mobilising sanitary wear for them.
Mrs Stella Sibanda, founder of Healing A Broken Heart Charity organisation said the campaign, christened, “Stella Express” is meant to promote the use and access of sanitary wear by the girl child.
When nature calls there is no alternative or means to dodge the situation for women and girls who rely on pads to maintain their dignity. However, pads are now beyond the reach of many women and girls as they cost between ZW$100 and US$1 a pack, forcing poor rural girls and women to resort to using clothes, cow dung and pieces of rags.
Mrs Sibanda said she discovered that girls especially those from rural areas, struggle as they cannot afford to buy sanitary pads hence the idea to launch the campaign.
Through her community health initiatives she has transformed the lives of many young girls through donating sanitary pads with Binga Town being the first community to benefit from the initiative. She has also helped girls in Nkulumane in Bulawayo.
“As a result of this, I decided to launch a campaign so that we can distribute sanitary wear to the girls who have no means of getting sanitary wear in our community, the main aim is to help women by donating these pads and we can do so by joining hands.
“The reason behind me starting a campaign is my passion to give back to the community I grew up in through charity and assist needy girls and women in communities because I have seen worst things used by women in my community that are not good for their health.
It takes a community to raise a child, now that the girl has grown up can we as a nation hold hands and help her to grow her self-esteem by avoiding the shame of displaying her inability to have a proper sanitary wear. Donate one pack of sanitary pads or more and give her a smile, a little goes a long way,” she said.
Mrs Sibanda urged both men and women to take part in the campaign.
“Those interested at assisting young women the drop-off point is Suite 101 Africa House opposite Zesa, Corner Fife Street and George Silundika Street in Bulawayo,” she said.
