- A historic sanitary pad vending machine was launched at the School of Hope in Observatory.
- Non-profit organisations launched the project, which aims to create sustainable free access to sanitary pads.
- More vending machines will be distributed to schools and community centres.
The first sanitary pad vending machine was launched at the School of Hope in Observatory, Cape Town, on Tuesday.
The project is the first of its kind and was launched by O Graceland (OGL) and the MENstruation Foundation.
It aims to create free access to sanitary pads for young girls during their menstrual cycle.
OGL director, Philani Zama, and the MENstruation Foundation's director, Marius Basson, are the brains behind the sanitary pad vending machine project.
They said the main aim of the project is to create a sustainable free access module, in which corporates can choose to sponsor and fund a machine or machines to different schools. This will then provide sanitary pads for the full year.
"It's always rewarding when a lot of planning and hard work pays off in trying to fight period poverty," said Basson.
OGL is a non-profit organisation (NPO) that houses young girls, who have left childcare homes.
Homes
The NPO opened its doors at Oude Molen Eco Village in Pinelands in 2017. At the time, it became one of only two homes of its kind in the Western Cape.
The organisation believes that, if men bled once a month, sanitary products would have been free.
Their mission is to provide a safe place for girls over the age of 18 to grow and to get ready to step into adult life.
OGL provides the necessary life skills training and support, while the girls complete their education and prepare for the real world.
Speaking to News24, the co-founder of MENstruation, Siv Ngesi, said that men need to get involved in the "period poverty" that women are still facing.
"Menstruation is not only a woman thing, but also a humanity thing. It's a life thing and, without menstruation, there is no humanity," he said.
More vending machines will be produced and distributed through partnerships with corporate companies to schools and community centres, which will fill a critical need for sanitary pads.
The launch kicks off in the Western Cape, with talks already in place to have the project install vending machines in Johannesburg, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.