BUFFALO FLATS resident, Dinika Rooy, 29, has established a foundation to make sure a young girl’s education career is not affected by the onset of menstruation.
Rooy founded Keep a Girl in School on August 15 last year after she was approached by a young girl who was experiencing her first menstrual cycle, but didn’t have the money to buy sanitary towels.
“After meeting this girl, I spoke with colleagues and asked them to buy an extra packet of sanitary towels when they were doing their grocery shopping.
“That led me to start this initiative because after I was approached by that little girl, it made me think that there are more girls in our communities like her who are facing similar challenges,” said Rooy.
She said her main focus was to bring hope to young schoolgirls and give them an opportunity to be free to participate in daily school activities without feeling ashamed or embarrassed about their situation.
“ In some instances, these young girls suffer from stress and depression as a result of fear and humiliation.
“Due to the lack of sanitary pads, schoolgirls often use unhygienic methods which include cotton wool, newspaper, socks, towels, old rag cloth and toilet paper as substitutes,” she said.
Rooy said Keep a Girl in School did not only distribute sanitary pads but also educated schoolgirls on changes in their body so they could be aware and ready for it when it occurred.
