Programme aims to keep pupils in class, restore dignity
Small Project Foundations (SPF), a nonprofit organisation dedicated to uplifting impoverished communities, has launched a pad drive initiative to improve access to menstrual hygiene products for young girls in and around East London.
The initiative addresses a critical issue: many girls miss school during their menstrual cycle due to a lack of sanitary products, affecting their education and dignity. SPF’s Phumela Msolo said: “The main goal of the initiative is to keep these girls in school and provide them with the dignity and support they deserve.”
Since 1988, SPF has focused on health, education, and social development. The pad drive, supported by partners including Kenvue (formerly Johnson & Johnson), sees youth employed by SPF helping to pack sanitary pads at a factory before distributing them to those in need.
So far, the initiative has benefited 205 schools and nonprofit organisations across the Eastern Cape.
SPF also runs educational programmes such as Bumb’Ingomso, which focuses on HIV prevention and leadership development for adolescent girls and young women aged 15-29.
Msolo said, “This programme not only promotes health but also builds a leadership network to facilitate access to life-changing opportunities.”
SPF’s broader mission addresses systemic challenges in health and social services, providing support ranging from eye care and gender-based violence assistance to skills development, mental health education, and bursaries.
Beneficiary Noluvuyo Feni of Siyazama Community Development NPO praised the pad drive, saying: “The donations have helped many families and allowed us to connect with young people on a deeper level. We discovered issues affecting children that we weren’t previously aware of.”
With SPF’s supplies, Siyazama distributed pads to multiple schools including Masakhe Primary, Lujiza Public, and Duncan Village Primary.
Feni said: “The reception from the schools was heartwarming. SPF has helped raise our name to a higher level. Their work is about making children feel valued and loved.”
Siyazama is also supported by Astron Garage, Meals on Wheels, Siyakholwa Empowerment Foundation, Unisa and St Peter Claver Catholic Church.
