NORTH WEST MEC LEADS SANITARY TOWELS DISTRIBUTION DRIVE IN NEEDY SCHOOLS

By Petrus Siko

• Sanitary towels were donated to learners at two North West schools recently, as part of the province’s Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded accelerated service delivery programme.
• The sanitary products are essential for girls’ hygiene, health, and their continued attendance at school.
• The North West Department of Social Development plans to distribute a total of 6 625 sanitary towels to disadvantaged learners in rural schools during the 2024/2025 financial year.

Learners at two schools in Khuma in the North West received donations of sanitary towels during the second leg of the Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded accelerated service delivery programme.

The programme saw the MEC for Social Development in the North West, Basetsana Sussana Dantjie visit Tumisang Primary School and Dirang ka Natla High School in the City of Matlosana Municipality.

During her visit, Dantjie emphasised that the lack of sanitary products negatively impacts girls’ hygiene, health, and educational participation, highlighting the need for continued support to learners from needy households.

“The importance of sanitary towels cannot be over-emphasised,” the MEC said.

“Girls need them. It is for this reason that we are offering sanitary towels for free to them. It is our way of contributing to their education as this gesture will enable them to attend school during their menstrual cycle,” Dantjie told residents at Dirang ka Natla High School.

The school visits formed part of the Thuntsha Lerole Reloaded initiative, aimed at improving basic services and community engagement across the province.

As part of Dantjie’s departmental annual performance plan for 2024/25, a total of 6 625 sanitary towels will be distributed to disadvantaged learners in rural schools across the province.

The sanitary towels drive, Dantjie said, is an outreach initiative that aims to enable learners to access basic necessities so that they can continue with their studies without having to miss classes.

Learners from disadvantaged backgrounds have received free sanitary towels from the Department of Social Development for a number of years.

Expressing her profound thanks to the authorities during the short handover ceremony, the deputy principal at Dirang ka Natla High School, Mampho Ramohapi, said: “We are so happy for this positive gesture. It’s a great relief to us as teachers because we used to buy some sanitary towels for learners. We wish the department could bring more sanitary towels to our school.”