COVID-19 Zimbabwe Project #34788

Access to Sanitary Wear for 1000 Girls in Matobo

by Hope for a Child in Christ (HOCIC)

Project Report | Apr 11, 2023
Hope for a Child in Christ Quarterly Report

By Sibonisiwe Mugari | Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

HOCIC under the GlobalGiving platform is implementing an initiative called “Access to sanitary wear for 1000 girls”. This project seeks to ensure that 1000 girls and young women aged between 10 and 24 years do not miss out on school during their monthly menstrual period.

The project targets Matobo District in Matabeleland South Region but due to the immediate need to address menstrual poverty across all HOCIC areas of operation, the project is now targeting the whole of Matabeleland region where HOCIC is implementing its projects.

Distribution of sanitary wear to young women and girls has the primary objective of reducing the risk of vaginal infections and cervical cancer amongst young women. The long term impact of the program is to increase school retention and reduce effects of period poverty.

The distribution package at any given time contains two packets of disposable sanitary pads, five panties and a bar of washing soap, or six reusable pads (two maxi, two medium and two small pads), a bag to store the clean pads, five panties and or a bar of soap.

Apart from the dignity packs distributions, young women and girls are taught basic menstrual hygiene so as to equip them on proper use the sanitary wear.

During the last quarter, the team managed to distribute the following :

100 packs of Sanitary wear
250 panties
50 Bars of Soap

A total of 50 young women and girls were presentes with the dignity packs with each hirl/young woman getting 2 packets of sanitary wear, 5 panties and 1 bar of soap.

Refresher training was conducted to these young women before they were presented with dignity packs. Topics included the following :

1. Presentation on how to minimize the risk of cervical cancer

2. Awareness raising on cervical cancer screening during the Women’s Month.

3.Women were encouraged to come up with solidarity statements on women on the 8th of March focusing on this year's theme:

“DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”

Challenges

1.Limited resources to match the need on the ground, only 50 young women and girls were reached

2.Minimum funds to cater for fuel to travel to the areas of operation for distribution.

3.Hold more fundraising platforms /social functions to raise funds.

Recommendation

Continue to share the link widely to get donations on all HOCIC social media platforms.

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Dec 7, 2022
HOCIC: Ending period poverty quart reporr

By Betha Dube | Project Officer

HOCIC under the GlobalGiving platform is implementing an initiative called “Access to sanitary wear for 100 girls”. This project seeks to ensure that 1000 girls and young women aged between 10 and 24 years do not miss out on school during their monthly menstrual period. This is achieved through the provision of proper sanitary wear and dignity packs to girls and young women in rural areas. The programme will also reduce the risk of vaginal infections and cervical cancer. The dignity pack contains either two packets of disposable sanitary pads, five panties and a bar of washing soap, or six reusable pads (two maxi, two medium and two small pads), a bag to store the clean pads, five panties and a bar of soap. The girls and young women are being taught on menstrual hygiene so as to enable them to use the sanitary wear properly. The long term impact of the project is to keep the girls in school and improve their performance. Education is central to well-being economic development and for bringing changes in the quality of lives for people.

During the last quarter, the team managed to hold a fundraising during the pink October breast cancer awareness. The organization had an in house staff wellness day mainstreaming breast cancer awareness. Presentations on how to minimize the risk of getting breast cancer as well as a quiz to test knowledge was conducted. During the proceedings of the day the GlobalGiving team managed to sell pink ribbons to the team and raised a total of 22usd. These funds will be used to plan an upcoming fundraising activity that aims to engage influential people so they could assist in the lobbying of funds to help the young girls with sanitary wear.

The team also reached out to small business owners to engage them on donations. In pursuant of this, the team received a pledge for 100 pads from a small company and they will be distributed to the disadvantaged young girls in Bulawayo.

Challenges

Low donor engagement
Minimum funds to travel to the areas of operation for distribution.

Recommendations

Engaging social influencers to help with the lobbying of funds.
Continue to share the link widely to get donations on the online platform

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Aug 8, 2022
Commemorating World Menstrual Health Hygiene Day

By Phoebe Mutero | Project Officer

INTRODUCTION GlobalGiving is an online crowd funding platform where HOCIC is raising funds. HOCIC is implementing the access to sanitary wear to sanitary wear to 1000 girls and young women aged between 10 to 24 years from Matobo and Bulawayo so that they do not miss school during their menstrual period. This is achieved through the provision of proper sanitary wear. Girls in rural areas are resorting to using cow dung for sanitary wear because its unaffordable. This increases the risk on cervical cancer and vaginal infections. The project also aims to teach the girls and young women on menstrual hygiene and also capacitate them on pad making for sustainability. ACTIVITIES HOCIC GlobalGiving team conducted a fundraising during the Menstrual Hygiene Day, with the objective of raising funds for the program. The fundraising was carried out at HOCIC offices. Numerous programs within the organization supported this initiative. The fundraising assisted in creating momentum for the GlobalGiving activities, which is to curb menstrual poverty among vulnerable communities of Matobo and Bulawayo. The sexual and reproductive health of adolescent girls and young women is of utmost importance as they can be susceptible to life threatening conditions like cervical cancer and vaginal infections. The fundraising managed to raise $21usd and 16 pads. GlobalGiving with the help of communications team set up a piggy bank donation booth by the reception, with the objective of raising more funds towards the program. Staff members have been receptive and support by making donations towards the cause. The project officer and project assistant also drafted and rolled out letters to potential donors and responses are yet to be received. With the objective of reaching out to a greater audience GlobalGiving embarked on creating awareness posters, with various message every week on menstrual health issues and menstrual stigma. The posters which include the GG Link are put on all HOCIC social media platforms. CHALLENGES • Late or no response from potential donors. • Lack of adequate funds. RECOMMENDATIONS • Ride on other programs which operate in the same areas. • More fundraising activities to raise more funds.

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