MUT wraps up Mandela Month by donating sanitary pads to uMlazi school

Durban — On the last day of Nelson Mandela Month, the Mangosuthu University of Technology’s clinic and the Department of Nature Conservation donated sanitary pads to uMlazi township’s Ndukwenhle High School.

In a statement released by the institution, it stated that the school has 1 205 pupils, about 800 of which are girls and that the donation was part of the month-long programme that the university, through its Community Engagement and Development (CEAD) directorate. It has been rolling out the programme since the beginning of the month.

Acknowledging the donation, the school Principal, Siyanda Mbonambi, said “MUT has done a lot for our school”.

Deputy principal, Nomsa Sokhela, said the problem associated with the unavailability of sanitary pads was “very big”.

The clinic’s Sister Bongiwe Sithole addressed the school’s pupils on the problematic issues associated with menstruation, and pointed out the sources of these issues, all of which were not based on scientific proof, but were based on beliefs and lack of the required knowledge.

“It’s a normal biological process for women. It is tied to reproduction. It does not mean you are ready for sex and it does not mean you are free to do as you like. It’s very unfortunate that in some cultures this is interpreted as a girl is now ready for marriage. That is not true. The girl is not ready,” Sister Sithole emphasised.

Menstruation comes at any day in the life of a woman until she reaches menopause, she said.

“It comes with challenges. For instance, lack of information. Some sections of society do not talk to their children about these stages, she said.

“They only talk about this when there is a problem. For instance, when a next-door girl falls pregnant, then there will be a talk about what it is being a girl that is now having her periods.”

Sister Sithole said that the message was not delivered in a proper manner. She also said that another problem during this time is the lack of resources.

“Some girls cannot afford the sanitary pads. This is a source of frustration for girls. Girls are forced to skip classes,” she said.

She further said that those who can afford the pads have to deal with an environment that is not supportive. She said that they do not have proper places where they can dispose of the used pads and replace them with clean ones.

They also must deal with the fact that there is not enough water. When you are menstruating, you need to keep clean, Instead, in some cultures the girls have to isolate themselves. They have to stop doing the house chores because they are said to be “dirty”. Sister Sithole said that such a belief was “not fair”. In some cases, girls are not allowed to take a bath. This could lead to them developing infections, which can even affect their fallopian tubes.

Sister Sithole said the only fact is that the girls’ bodies indicate that they can now fall pregnant, so they need to be very careful. All others, at home and at school, must support a menstruating girl. She said there is no need for the girl to be ridiculed, simply because she has periods. She said in some cases being in period gives some other an excuse to treat them as inferior boys. Girls are seen as the inferior sex.

“I am appealing to all of you to show respect for each other. If you see that a girl has a stain that might indicate that there has been a leak, tell them her nicely; do not embarrass her,” she said.

Sister Sithole also warned the girls not to associate with ‘sugar daddies’ who will give them support at the expense of their bodies. Confide in someone trustworthy, she said.

Sithembile Nkosi, a Lecturer in the Department of Nature Conservation, reiterated what Sister Sithole's words. Nkosi emphasised the importance of raising the children in a manner that does not favour one gender over the other. ‘Phambili mantombazane, Phambili'.

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