Latest news with #SivNgesi
The South African
3 days ago
- Health
- The South African
South African universities combat period poverty
The Clicks Helping Hand Trust (CHHT), in partnership with the MENstruation Foundation, officially launched an important new initiative. This initiative aims to tackle period poverty at universities across South Africa. The University of the Western Cape (UWC) launched the Students on the Go campaign on 7 August. It aims to ensure students have access to free sanitary products so they can attend classes and study without interruption. A significant R2 million has been invested by CHHT to install 30 token-operated sanitary pad dispensers across five universities nationwide. Fourteen of these dispensers are already active at UWC across its Main, Community and Health Sciences, Dentistry and Mitchell's Plain campuses. The project ultimately seeks to benefit over 16,300 young women every month by providing nearly 196,000 packs of free sanitary pads annually. 'This is not just a donation. This is a movement,' said Dhevan Pillay, Chairperson of Clicks Helping Hand Trust. 'Menstruation should never be a barrier to education. We want every student to learn, grow and thrive with confidence, dignity and pride.' The initiative targets universities including UWC, the University of the Witwatersrand, North-West University, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Nelson Mandela University. At UWC alone, the programme will support 8,400 students and help reclaim over half a million study days lost every year due to period poverty. Period poverty remains a major social and educational challenge in South Africa, according to NWU. Siv Ngesi, co-founder of the MENstruation Foundation, stressed its urgency: 'Twenty-two million women bleed every month in South Africa. Eight million women cannot afford sanitary pads. Of those, four million are students. This is a grave injustice. I'm proud to be part of this effort to end period poverty.' Professor Robert Balfour, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor, underlined the importance of tangible support. 'Access to education must be material as well as formal. Students must participate fully, enthusiastically and meaningfully. Students on the Go takes a major step toward this by removing hygiene barriers.' Former UWC student and Women's Springbok rugby captain Babalwa Latsha also weighed in. 'Thank you to CHHT for saying to students, 'We see you, we support you, and we want you to win.'' Since its establishment in 2011, the Clicks Helping Hand Trust has donated over 750,000 packs of sanitary pads. This makes a lasting impact on the lives of young women nationwide. The Students on the Go initiative stands as a powerful commitment to ending period poverty in South Africa. This ensures that no student's education is compromised by a lack of access to basic menstrual hygiene products. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
5 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
New factory by MENstruation foundation aims to end period poverty for millions in South Africa
The MENstruation Foundation has opened its own Padco factory, and created the Agojie Pad to combat period poverty in South Africa. Image: Supplied The MENstruation Foundation has opened its own Padco factory, and created the Agojie Pad to combat period poverty in South Africa, a dream which SA actor and comedian Siv Ngesi and Marius Basson have been waiting for. Information of the location of the factory in the Western Cape has yet to be disclosed by the team. Co-founded by Ngesi and Basson, the foundation aims to restore dignity and opportunity to girls by providing access to menstrual products. Ngesi emphasises that this is a "human issue," and the goal is to create sustainable, long-term impact. The Agojie Pad, named after the female warriors of Dahomey, is the flagship product, produced locally and affordably. Padco's circular model allows the foundation to generate income, reinvest in communities, and expand its reach. The foundation's Sanitary Pad Dispensing Machine Project already provides free pads in schools and communities across South Africa and the factory is a second leg of this initiative. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ With over seven million South African girls and women missing school, work, or sport due to lack of access to menstrual products, the MENstruation Foundation said they were committed to ending period poverty, ensuring "no stigma, no shame, no missed opportunity". 'If men bled once a month, sanitary pads would be free," is the words Ngesi often uses behind their vision and has been advocating the plight for years. It all began during a conversation at a wedding and later a phone call on Basson's daughter's, Katelyn's eighth birthday, which quickly turned into a nationwide movement, with the vision and goal to end period poverty. Ngesi said their vision was not that of profit but to help sustain the dignity of young girls: 'We believed from day one that there's a reason MEN is in menstruation and MAN is in humanity. This is not just a women's issue, it's a human issue. We're not here to make a momentary splash; we're here to win the war. That's why we are creating the Agojie Pad (the Agojie Pad, a high-quality sanitary product named in honour of the legendary all-female Agojie warriors of Dahomey) and built Padco to make sustainable, meaningful, long-term impact." Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
eNCA
6 days ago
- Health
- eNCA
UWC students to get access to free sanitary pads
CAPE TOWN - The University of the Western Cape is tackling period poverty with its Students on the Go Campaign. It's partnered with the MENstruation Foundation and Clicks Helping Hand Trust. READ | Menstrual Health | Siv Ngesi opens factory to produce sanitary pads Free, high quality, sanitary pads are being offered through token-operated vending machines. To discuss this further eNCA spoke to Professor Anesh Singh, Director of Institutional Advancement at UWC.
The Star
10-08-2025
- Health
- The Star
Siv Ngesi Launches Sanitary Pad Factory to Support Menstrual Health in Underserved Communities
Staff Reporter | Published 2 hours ago Well-known actor and television personality Siv Ngesi has stepped into a new role, one that aims to address a long-standing issue facing many South African communities — access to affordable sanitary products. Driven by a desire to bring dignity to those who often go without, Ngesi has opened a factory dedicated to the production of sanitary pads, with a focus on making them widely available in impoverished areas. The initiative is more than just a business venture. For Ngesi, it is a mission rooted in social impact. He says the idea came from seeing first-hand how many young girls and women are forced to miss school or work simply because they cannot afford basic menstrual products. By opening this facility, he hopes to break the cycle of silence and shame around menstruation and give more people the tools to manage their periods with confidence. The factory, now fully operational, is expected to produce close to 200,000 sanitary pads per day once it reaches full capacity. Ngesi says this high volume is essential to meet the widespread demand, especially in communities where access to menstrual hygiene products remains a daily struggle. He believes that by making pads locally and affordably, they can be distributed more efficiently to the people who need them most. 'This is not just about making a product,' Ngesi said. 'It is about restoring dignity, changing lives, and making sure no one has to feel ashamed for something as natural as a period. Too many young girls are missing school, and women are losing out on opportunities because of something that should be easily manageable.' In addition to manufacturing pads, the initiative also includes a broader campaign to educate communities about menstrual health. Ngesi and his team are working with local organisations, schools, and health professionals to create awareness and encourage open conversations around menstruation. By doing so, they hope to break long-held stigmas that continue to isolate those who menstruate. The project has already begun creating jobs, with local women hired to work in the factory and participate in community outreach efforts. Ngesi says empowering women at every stage of the process is a key part of his vision. Public health advocates have praised the move, calling it a significant step toward improving menstrual equity in South Africa. They say access to menstrual products is not just a hygiene issue, but a human rights one, affecting education, employment, and overall well-being. Ngesi's efforts are part of a growing movement calling for menstrual health to be treated as a public priority. As his factory ramps up production and his awareness campaigns gain traction, he hopes to inspire others to take action in their own communities.
IOL News
10-08-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Siv Ngesi Launches Sanitary Pad Factory to Support Menstrual Health in Underserved Communities
Co-founder Siv Ngesi inside Padco, the MENstruation Foundation's new sanitary pad factory – built to fight period poverty with dignity and impact. Image: Supplied Well-known actor and television personality Siv Ngesi has stepped into a new role, one that aims to address a long-standing issue facing many South African communities — access to affordable sanitary products. Driven by a desire to bring dignity to those who often go without, Ngesi has opened a factory dedicated to the production of sanitary pads, with a focus on making them widely available in impoverished areas. The initiative is more than just a business venture. For Ngesi, it is a mission rooted in social impact. He says the idea came from seeing first-hand how many young girls and women are forced to miss school or work simply because they cannot afford basic menstrual products. By opening this facility, he hopes to break the cycle of silence and shame around menstruation and give more people the tools to manage their periods with confidence. The factory, now fully operational, is expected to produce close to 200,000 sanitary pads per day once it reaches full capacity. Ngesi says this high volume is essential to meet the widespread demand, especially in communities where access to menstrual hygiene products remains a daily struggle. He believes that by making pads locally and affordably, they can be distributed more efficiently to the people who need them most. 'This is not just about making a product,' Ngesi said. 'It is about restoring dignity, changing lives, and making sure no one has to feel ashamed for something as natural as a period. Too many young girls are missing school, and women are losing out on opportunities because of something that should be easily manageable.' In addition to manufacturing pads, the initiative also includes a broader campaign to educate communities about menstrual health. Ngesi and his team are working with local organisations, schools, and health professionals to create awareness and encourage open conversations around menstruation. By doing so, they hope to break long-held stigmas that continue to isolate those who menstruate. The project has already begun creating jobs, with local women hired to work in the factory and participate in community outreach efforts. Ngesi says empowering women at every stage of the process is a key part of his vision.
