It's no secret that period products are an expensive recurring cost in a person who menstruates life. It is for this reason that CORA attempts to distribute free menstrual products to as many communities as possible. Luckily, the South African community also believes in this cause and that is why numerous local businesses and organisations continue to host in-office product donation drives. Individuals also host these drives and we are so grateful for the support! Whether you held a week-long, month-long, or just a day-long donation drive, we extend our deepest thanks! We then distribute the products to communities in need including at schools, community centres, shelters and where ever there is a need!
Pledge Red is a nationwide campaign that aims to raise awareness about period poverty, tackle the stigma around menstruation and ultimately end period poverty in schools in South Africa. As part of the pledge red campaign we host educational workshops in schools in which we cover topics like period basics; period products; menstrual health + hygiene; sexual health + reproductive health; period poverty. We incorporate games into the workshops and give the girl leaners product at the end so that they can manage their periods with dignity. For more info please see our 'Pledge Red Campaign' tab under 'Our Work'.
Every year before we run a Christmas drive and collect gift and self-care items to make up Christmas gift bags/boxes for vulnerable women in various shelters across Cape Town. With the support and donations from our beautiful community each box contains menstrual products, sweets, chocolate, tea bags, stickers, nail polish, soap and other goodies. Some of the beneficiaries of the gift boxes include Saartjie Baartman Centre, Haven Night Shelter, St. Anne’s Home and the community of Imizamo Yethu.
We host Skills for Empowerment Workshops in collaboration with House of Pads. We start 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 receives a pack of reusable pads, a starter kit so that they could make their own reusable pads, period info booklet, undies + pepper spray.
#RunForHer 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 R15 for every 1km they complete. The funds raised go towards menstrual health workshops and period products for those in need.
At The CORA Project, we believe in the importance of education. Periods should not be a barrier to a young girl’s education and lifestyle. Through education advocacy and menstrual product distribution, CORA is committed to offering menstrual workshops to any and all interested parties. Topics covered in our workshops include, but are not limited to, the biology of menstruation, the severity of period poverty, and healthy period management. We take these workshops with both girls and boys, as we believe it is extremely important that the whole of society understands what a period is as well as the challenges related to having a period. We take workshops with leaners as young as 10/11 years old upwards.