6 Jul 2018
150 packs of sanitary pads were donated to young mothers between the ages of 13 and 24 years from Hwange. The donation was made by Women Arise and Shine in partnership with Maternity and New Born Care at St Ignatius Primary School this past Saturday 30 June 2018.
Louise Staddon, the Director of Women Arise and Shine expressed that the organisation is driven towards educating the vulnerable young mothers and promoting good hygiene.
She said, “It is sad to note that some of these girls use cloths and toilet paper during their menstruation cycles. Most of what they use is not advisable, unhygienic and leaves them at high risk of contracting diseases. We are glad to contribute towards making a difference to them and educating them about hygiene and sanitation.”
The two organisations took the opportunity to educate the teen mothers about different family planning methods, sexual abuse, gender-based violence and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Jane Tele, Director of Maternity and New Born Care urged young mothers to report any forms of abuse to the police and encouraged them to use family planning methods so as to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
“Most of these young mothers have had unplanned pregnancies due to lack of knowledge of family planning methods, hence l urge them to learn more about these methods and plan better for their future. They should also report any forms of abuse that they experience to the nearest police stations.”
The District Administrator of Hwange, Simon Muleya expressed gratitude towards Women Arise and Shine and Maternity and New Born Care stating that it was a marvel to see them intervening and helping the young mothers who cannot afford some essentials.
Muleya said, “On behalf of the beneficiaries l want to express my sincere gratitude for the work done by organisations operating in Hwange and may they continue to help the vulnerable young women whenever they can.”
The directors of the two organisations said they would continue helping girls and teen mothers through providing food, clothing and other relief services.
