Subz reusable sanitary pads
Greyton pupils receive welcome packs of Subz reusable sanitary pads
The delivery of 505 packs of Subz Pants and Pads to four schools in the Greyton area will prove a lifechanging addition to the lives of these young women.
Driven by the collaborative Project Dignity and Clicks’ Girls on the Go campaign, packs of the eco-friendly, washable sanitary pads and accompanying panties are being distributed to schoolgirls across the country in an effort to restore dignity to impoverished communities while saving on unnecessary monthly costs.
Run by the Clicks Helping Hand Trust, the Girls on the Go campaign assists with sponsorship of thousands of reusable sanitary packs which are handed out to disadvantaged communities every two months. Project Dignity – the non-profit extension of Subz Pants and Pads – was identified as the ideal partner for this worthwhile campaign.
“Project Dignity is committed to empowering young women with the Subz packs as well as crucial information about their bodies,” explained Sue Barnes, founder of Subz Pants and Pads. “Because of the length of time we’ve been involved in such activations, we are now returning to areas and meeting with new pupils in need of these donations.”
Commenting on the most recent activations, Barnes said: “It is so heartening to be in Greyton, receiving such a warm welcome from the schools who know what a difference these packs will make. We are so grateful to the support from Clicks’ Girls on the Go, without which such generous donations could not be made.”
Developed, designed and manufactured by Barnes, the Subz pads are made of five layers of hydrophilic fabric which makes them extremely absorbent to prevent leakage. Together with the 100% cotton panties, they are patented and have an SABS absorbency approval.
The Greyton activation was overseen by the local Project Dignity ambassador and volunteer, Belinda van Rooyen. She identified four schools – Moravian Primary School, Greyton Primer Skool, Genandendal Primary School and Emil Weder High School – as recipients for the 505 packs.
Commenting on her involvement in the campaign, Van Rooyen said she had learnt about the work done by Project Dignity after reading a magazine article.
“I had been looking for some charitable organisation that would benefit the many schoolchildren in our area,” she explained. “This area is rural and work is scarce. Other than the tourist industry there is virtually no work here and unemployment is a big problem.”
Through her own initial fundraising, Van Rooyen was able to purchase Subz packs for Greyton schoolchildren and, following this successful activation, realised how great the need was in the area. She then approached Barnes who had been working with the Clicks Helping Hands Trust and they agreed to assist with distributions to the Greyton area.
Van Rooyen said young women in Grades 5 to 7 had received some of the packs, with remaining distributions planned following the winter vacation, all with the aim to improve school attendance through these donations.
“We hope the packs will help the girls to attend school when they menstruate. We know that some girls do not have access to sanitary wear and stay away from school every month. This is lost classroom time and often the girls drop out as they just cannot catch up the work.”