By LULAMILE FENI
Two clergymen who present their own religious radio shows, have managed to collect more than 900000 sanitary towels as part of a campaign to provide one million pads to disadvantaged young women in the OR Tambo district.
UMhlobo Wenene FM religious show presenter, Reverend Mzukisi Faleni, and Unitra Community Radio religious presenter, Tshepo Machaea, said they had so far collected more than 90% of the one million sanitary towels they planned to collect.
They will hand them over to OR Tambo mayor Nomakhosana Meth on July 18.
“We are about to reach our target ...more are still coming and we hope to even exceed the target when when we hand them over to to the mayor,” Machaea said.
The two radio personalities are now appealing to other men to assist in the campaign.
Machaea, who is also the archbishop of Ibandla Lasemthini Evangelical Movement, said he was approached by school teachers in Lusikisiki with various challenges.
“Among other things mentioned that, at times as a Grade 12 student she could not even go to school, during her menstrual period, because she did not have any means to buy sanitary towels. If you are a father, you will understand how I felt when she said this to me.”
Machaea and Faleni appealed to all men to get involved in the: “One Month, One Million Sanitary Towels” campaign.
The sanitary towels will be handed over to Meth’s office to be distributed to needy schools.
Machaea said they wanted men “to understand that we need to break the strings of culture and religion” that prevented them from taking responsibility.
“If you are a woman but you share the same feelings as us, you can contribute but we encourage that you use a man to buy or deliver them,” Machaea said.
Faleni, who is the presenter of Umhlobo Wenene’s Ukholo Nengqiqo religious show, said they had travelled to many areas to publicise the campaign.
“Surprisingly, men have embraced the idea and are doing their best to ensure that the target is reached. We are sure that we will have nothing less than one million ,” he said
Journalists, business people and other individuals also contributed to the cause.
The Daily Dispatch, as well as the Eastern Cape Media Forum – a newly formed forum for journalists – operating mostly in the Transkei, collected thousands of sanitary towels. Lim’uvune Material Supplies Construction Company was one of many companies that donated thousands of pads to this cause.
Eastern Cape Media Forum’s Nkululeko Nyembezi said: “We do not need to be women to look after our own sisters and daughters’ health. As journalists working mostly in rural areas, it is our responsibility to contribute to this so that we change the lives of the needy girls in rural areas.
“Ours is not only to report on stories but also to assist in the upliftment of the communities,” Nyembezi said.
Faleni said that they had even received support from prisons and other sectors.
Lim’uvune Material Supplies Construction Company’s Zondwa Nqokoto said that the campaign needed to be spread to girls who were not attending school.
“This is good initiative and it should be there every year or even every month. This will go a long way to changing the mentality of men when it comes to women’s health,” Nqokoto said. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Clergymen pair on sanitary towel mission
Two clergymen who present their own religious radio shows, have managed to collect more than 900000 sanitary towels as part of a campaign to provide one million pads to disadvantaged young women in the OR Tambo district.
UMhlobo Wenene FM religious show presenter, Reverend Mzukisi Faleni, and Unitra Community Radio religious presenter, Tshepo Machaea, said they had so far collected more than 90% of the one million sanitary towels they planned to collect.
They will hand them over to OR Tambo mayor Nomakhosana Meth on July 18.
“We are about to reach our target ...more are still coming and we hope to even exceed the target when when we hand them over to to the mayor,” Machaea said.
The two radio personalities are now appealing to other men to assist in the campaign.
Machaea, who is also the archbishop of Ibandla Lasemthini Evangelical Movement, said he was approached by school teachers in Lusikisiki with various challenges.
“Among other things mentioned that, at times as a Grade 12 student she could not even go to school, during her menstrual period, because she did not have any means to buy sanitary towels. If you are a father, you will understand how I felt when she said this to me.”
Machaea and Faleni appealed to all men to get involved in the: “One Month, One Million Sanitary Towels” campaign.
The sanitary towels will be handed over to Meth’s office to be distributed to needy schools.
Machaea said they wanted men “to understand that we need to break the strings of culture and religion” that prevented them from taking responsibility.
“If you are a woman but you share the same feelings as us, you can contribute but we encourage that you use a man to buy or deliver them,” Machaea said.
Faleni, who is the presenter of Umhlobo Wenene’s Ukholo Nengqiqo religious show, said they had travelled to many areas to publicise the campaign.
“Surprisingly, men have embraced the idea and are doing their best to ensure that the target is reached. We are sure that we will have nothing less than one million ,” he said
Journalists, business people and other individuals also contributed to the cause.
The Daily Dispatch, as well as the Eastern Cape Media Forum – a newly formed forum for journalists – operating mostly in the Transkei, collected thousands of sanitary towels. Lim’uvune Material Supplies Construction Company was one of many companies that donated thousands of pads to this cause.
Eastern Cape Media Forum’s Nkululeko Nyembezi said: “We do not need to be women to look after our own sisters and daughters’ health. As journalists working mostly in rural areas, it is our responsibility to contribute to this so that we change the lives of the needy girls in rural areas.
“Ours is not only to report on stories but also to assist in the upliftment of the communities,” Nyembezi said.
Faleni said that they had even received support from prisons and other sectors.
Lim’uvune Material Supplies Construction Company’s Zondwa Nqokoto said that the campaign needed to be spread to girls who were not attending school.
“This is good initiative and it should be there every year or even every month. This will go a long way to changing the mentality of men when it comes to women’s health,” Nqokoto said. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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