#RunForHerSA is our annual Women’s Month (August) virtual run to raise awareness and funds to tackle period poverty. Starting in 2020, every August we ask our community to accept the challenge of running towards combatting period poverty and pledging to donate R10 for every 1km they complete. The funds raised go towards menstrual health workshops and period products for those in need.
We collaborated with SafePad South Africa to host menstrual health workshops across various schools and communities in and around Cape Town. We taught both girls and boys about menstruation, menstrual health and period positivity - we believe it is essential to include boys and men in conversations about periods and menstruation. We also provided each attendee with a box of SafePad, a reusable, sustainable and eco-friendly pad that will allow them to menstruate with dignity for the next 5 years.
In December 2020, we collaborated with Future Females Foundation to gift 100 women in various shelters across Cape Town Christmas gift boxes. With the support and donations from our beautiful community each box contained menstrual products, sweets, chocolate, tea bags, stickers, nail polish, soap and other goodies. We distributed them to Saartjie Baartman Centre, Haven Night Shelter and St. Anne’s Home to spread the Christmas love.
We hosted period and menstrual health sessions at Zwaanswyk High School in collaboration with SafePad South Africa. We included both girls and boys in the sessions. We also provided each menstruator with a box of SafePad, a reusable, sustainable and eco-friendly pad that will allow them to menstruate with dignity for the next 5 years. Some of the boys took boxes to give their sisters and girlfriends.
Another great session in collaboration with SafePad South Africa! We conducted period sessions at Athlone High School and provided each student that needed and wanted a box of SafePad,
We collaborated with SafePad South Africa to engage in a period sharing session in Lavender Hill. The session was hosted by a fantastic community leader and champion, Sheila Du Plessis.
We distributed 12,000 products raised by our wonderful community in collaboration with Amoyo and partner NGOs, to in-need menstruators in communities in Hout Bay.
Mandela Day is a day dedicated to taking action in our communities and inspiring change! This Mandela Day 2021, we supported menstruators at Loaves and Fishes Shelter + St. Anne’s Shelter in Cape Town with over 400 products.
In the days leading up to Women's Day 2021, we did a period product handover with ladies from the AFM Khaya Celebration Centre. They requested period products to support 100 girls between the ages of 12 + 18 years from Ilitha Park area. At the handover we discussed the importance of empowering girls from a young age and enabling them to reach their potential by eradicating obstacles that stand in their way such as period poverty!
We distributed pads to girls in at Luvolwetfu Primary School in Mpumalanga. Our Period Ambassador Programme Leader, Leonah Ndlovu. met with the girls and discussed the importance of tackling period stigma and shame.
In September 2021, we hosted our first Skills for Empowerment Workshop in collaboration with House of Pads. The attendees were young women from shelters in Cape Town. We started off with a menstrual health session followed by a reusable pad-making workshop so that they can support their own periods and potentially even start their own small businesses! Each attendee received a pack of reusable pads, a starter kit so that they could make their own reusable pads, period info booklet, undies + pepper spray.
We visited Cissie Gool House to meet the community and give those in need menstrual products. Cissie Gool is a community of people living in the abandoned Woodstock Hospital. The people who live there have turned the old hospital into a vibrant and well-organised commune. They have created a vegetable garden and set up an after-school facility where designated youth monitors look after children. We are planning period and menstrual health sessions at Cissie Gool in October 2021 and are so excited to work with this community!
We hosted another informative and fun period workshop at Athone High School. Sarah from SafePad took the period + menstrual health session. There were more boys than girls, which was refreshing, and they all participated with enthusiasm and asked many questions. We provided the 25 girl learners with boxes of SafePad so they can support their periods for the next 5 years+, as well as period information leaflets.
We hosted menstrual health workshops + gave out product to students at the VN Naik School for the Deaf in Durban. Dr Upasna Singh conducted the menstrual health sessions with grades 8-12 and was so impressed by the enthusiasm + the amount of questions she received during the Q+A (largely from the boys!). We are so ecstatic to welcome this dynamic school to our #PledgeRed community.
We hosted period workshops at Kronendal Primary. Our ambassador, Kiki, taught 100 boys and girls about periods + menstrual health. The students asked many questions and engaged with enthusiasm. We plan on doing follow up sessions with them again soon!
We hosted a period workshop with 32 girls at Cissie Gool Home. We taught the girls all about periods, menstrual health, sexual health, contraceptives + consent. We ended the workshop off with a myth busting game and gave out period booklets and reusable pads.
As part of our final community visit and distribution of 2021, we distributed period packs and meals in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay. What a great way to end off the year!
As part of our annual Christmas collab with Future Females Foundation we made up and distributed 200 gift bags to vulnerable girls and women in and around Cape Town. Each gift contained a combination of chocolates, sanitizer, make up, accessories, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, accessories and menstrual products. Thank you to everyone who supported and donated!
We hosted a powerful menstrual health workshop at Belverton Secondary School in Durban with the help of our ambassador Dr Upasna Singh. We spoke to 200 girls about periods, menstrual health, sexual health + gave out menstrual products. This was our first of many workshops of 2022 and we are so excited to do more across the country! A huge thank you to Dr Singh for working with us towards a shared goal of ending #PeriodPoverty🩸 We would also like to thank the incredibly talented photographer @nvv.studios for taking the beautiful pictures on the day!
In February 2022, we started with the first community distribution which will take place every month ❤️ We supported 50 women in Imizamo Yethu with menstrual pads! Some also chose to try out the menstrual cup (thanks to Move Africa) for the first time! We will find out next month what they thought of them!
Another great Saturday morning spent serving our communities ❤️ As part of our usual monthly initiative, we once again supported women in Imizamo Yethu with menstrual pads🩸Just a small thing (out of many things) that we can do to help end #periodpoverty! We're always accepting donations and our inbox is always open 💕
We visited North Coast Primary School in Kwadukuza to address the Grade 6 and 7 learners on Menstrual Health. Our ambassador, Dr Upasna Singh, spoke to the learners about periods, fertility, pregnancy and sexual health related to periods. The girls also asked lots of questions surrounding abnormal bleeding patterns At the end, the school signed the #PledgeRed certificate and took a commitment to combat period poverty and stigma in their school! This workshop was captured by the talented NVV Studios.
We hosted another informative period workshop at the Cissie Gool Home - a community that feels like home to us! We had representatives from Shawco Health talking to the young menstruators about menstrual health, safe sex and consensual sex. We gave out boxes of SafePad to each attendee as well as period info leaflets and ended off with a tea and sandwich break.
On the 17th of February 2022, we hosted an educational program at Strange Manor Secondary School. Dr Upasna Singh took the very informative period session with the girls and boys (we believe it is SO important to include both!) and handed out 645 packs of pads to the learners. We would also love to thank Food For Life Tongaat and the sponsors involved for providing 1250 individually packed meals to every student! NVV Studios took the stunning pictures on the day.
Last month the Western Cape Department of Education reached out to us to do menstrual education sessions at Kalkesteenfontein Primary with the grade 5, 6 and 7s Our ambassador Kiki Hughes spoke to the learners about the menstrual cycle, why we get our period, the different menstrual products and tackling the stigma around periods! They were all very engaged and had lots of questions. At the end of the session, the school joined the #PledgeRed movement and took their stance again period poverty!
As per the request of the Western Cape Department of Education, we hosted menstrual education sessions at Disa Primary in Bonteheuwal. Our dynamic ambassador Kiki Hughes spoke to the learners about all things periods, the menstrual cycle, why we get our period, and tackling the stigma around periods! The school also joined our #PledgeRed campaign and pledged their support in the fight against period poverty!