REUSABLE PAD PROJECT

Period poverty affects women and girls worldwide who don’t have access to safe, hygienic menstrual products. The inability to manage their periods with dignity means that about 30% of girls in South Africa miss up to four consecutive days of school every month because they cannot afford menstrual products.

Every month, thousands of homeless women face a crisis when they have their periods. From coping with infections to being unable to purchase menstrual supplies, keeping safe and clean on the streets is not easy.

Doorway to Dignity, in association with The Pad Princess, has put together an eco-friendly and cost-efficient reusable menstrual pad kit. This kit will help women and girls to manage their periods in a dignified way. At the same time, they will be helping the environment by reducing the amount of sanitary waste that ends up as landfill (the average woman uses up to 16 800 disposable pads and/or tampons in her lifetime).

The kit, which costs R 150, includes:

A small bucket with a lid
3 reusable pads
Washing powder and measuring scoop
Vinegar
A drawstring bag
A pack of feminine wipes
Reusable pads have many advantages: they are healthy, cost-effective, long-lasting, environmentally friendly and easy to clean. The pads have several absorbent layers to prevent leakages and are constructed so as to provide maximum comfort. The outer layer of fabric comes in a range of pretty colours to help women and girls to feel extra special at a difficult time of the month.

Our initial goal of 1 000 kits will be distributed to schools, women’s shelters and women living on the streets. Beyond empowering girls and women, the pad project has far-reaching benefits, including job creation, skills development and protecting the environment.

Every cent counts but even if you are unable to make a donation, you can still make a difference by forwarding the link to this campaign to your friends and colleagues in South Africa and abroad.