Over 4200 girls and women will benefit from the distribution of free reusable sanitary pads by National Police Aid Convoys (NPAC) Zambia.
And Community Development and Social Welfare Minister, Hon Doreen Mwamba is happy that government’s efforts of promoting the welfare of girls and women is being appreciated and supplemented by various stakeholders.
This came to light when NPAC Project Manager, Ms Amina Bahadur Patel, called on the Minister to discuss reusable pads for girls in communities.
The Minister, who was impressed with the design of the reusable sanitary pads expressed happiness that the programme is in line with the Ministry’s mandate of ensuring that the vulnerable in society, especially girls and women are taken care of in every aspect of life.
Although the distribution of free sanitary distribution programme falls directly under the Ministry of Education, Hon Mwamba said her ministry has a component of taking care of the welfare of vulnerable girls, who also are equally in need of free sanitary pads.
She pointed out that it will be important for the programme to be carefully targeted at those that are in dire need of the sanitary pads, such as the vulnerable in society and not those that can afford.
Hon. Mwamba therefore pledged to lobby for all necessary support to ensure such a programme gets the support it needs for it to make the desired impact on the vulnerable girls and women.
“When we say we are giving free pads, we do not mean those girls that are coming from well to do families. Just like the Social Cash Transfer, we are not giving to directors, ministers or businessmen but categorized for the vulnerable in society” Hon Mwamba said.
And Ms Bahadur Patel who acknowledged that girls are in dire need of reusable pads which are safe and user-friendly informed the meeting that the initiative has successfully worked in many rural parts of the country.
She said her organization has so far produced over 35,000 reusable sanitary pads since 2018, with 4200 to be distributed next week at Kaseba School.
Ms Bahadur Patel further indicated that her organization is facing various challenges among them, financial, in the production of reusable pads considering the quality and materials used, she therefore asked for support in order to effectively implement the programme.
