By Isaac Zulu
The Stanley Kakubo Foundation says it is taking the wellbeing of girls seriously by helping needy girls who end up using poor sanitary pads substitutes or use nothing at all which aggravates their misery during periods.
The Kakubo Foundation, established by Foreign Affairs minister and also Kapiri Mposhi member of parliament Kakubo yesterday donated 600 packs of sanitary towels to schoolgirls from five rural based schools in Kapiri Mposhi district.
Stanley Kakubo Foundation representative, Lusungu Nzima said the foundation with support from Canada and United States America (USA) based charity organizations has adopted nine rural based schools in the district where it will routinely support girls with sanitary pads supplies and other menstrual facilities to improve their school attendance.
Nzima said the initiative is also aimed at building confidence and dignity and boost the self esteem of girls in the targeted schools so that they get an education and play a meaningful role in the development of the country.
“As Stanley Kasongo Kakubo Foundation we are taking the wellbeing of the girl child seriously and giving a helping hand to needy girls who end up using poor substitutes or worse they use nothing which aggravates their misery during periods. We are doing this so that they can go to school without worrying about their menstrual cycles and living in the culture of shame and silence which further aggravates their misery,” Nzima said.
She appealed for more stakeholder involvement in the provision free sanitary towels to complement government’s efforts and to make sure that no girl absconds class due to menstrual periods.
And handing over the sanitary towels on behalf of Kakubo, Community Leader, Dorothy Mambwe said there is need to address challenges hampering girls’ education to optimize free education for the girl child.
Mambwe, who is former Chibwelelo ward councilor, noted that lack of sanitary towels stands out among challenges keeping away girls from school.
“It is not acceptable that we should have girls missing school because they don’t have sanitary towels especially that education is now free in our country. We need to make sure that these challenges are addressed to give the girl child an equal opportunity at education,” Mambwe said.
The community leader added that President Hakainde Hichilema has shown commitment to elevating women to key positions but that lack of education has stood as the major factor against women’s progress.
“Let’s support the education of the girl child to also ensure that the country achieves the 50 percent women representation parity in parliament,” said Mambwe.
Meanwhile, Kapiri Mposhi District Education Standards Officer Special Education (ESO -SE) Mary Masumba commended the Foundation for the donation stating schools in the district experience high abseintism rate among schoolgirls as they can not afford sanitary pads to manage their menstruation.
