Did you know that less than 10% of girls in South Africa pass 8th grade and continue their education? The main reason to their dismissal is that they can't afford underwear nor menstrual products and are being bullied in school for it, so they drop out permanently. To prevent girls and women from being in poverty throughout their life, they need an education. We have created a system that will get girls back in school and, ultimately, increase the employment rate.
In South Africa, less than 10% of girls go beyond 8th grade, and only 25% of women are employed. The primary reason of school dropout and unemployment for women is not having underwear or menstrual products. Moreover, young ladies are bullied and teased in school when their period occurs at an inopportune moment in school. The impact that has on a young lady is drastic, which automatically results in them dropping out of school and losing their self-worth.
We created GirlStuff.Period to provide 2500 girls, every semester, with underwear and re-usable menstrual pads, so they can stay in school and become employed. GirlStuff.Period also employs 10 women full time to make reusable menstrual pads and underwear. GirlStuff.Period will employ 5 girls in 2018 with an increase in employment of 20% year over year. In 2018, we will deliver 5,000 pads per semester and, therefore, be able to give girls an education and break the poverty cycle.
Our two major goals in Pads4Girls are to increase the education and employment rate for women in South African communities we work in and support by 15% every year until we've reversed the drop out rate to single digits. By being educated, women in South Africa can then understand health, nutrition, family planning and have the power to take charge of their own life. By giving women an education, MAWO will increase economic growth within South African communities.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
