The women of Platfontein will soon receive training through Project Lilly on how to make sanitary pads.
PLATFONTEIN women will soon receive training on how to make sanitary pads through Project Lilly.
The project is scheduled to start as soon as the right venue is secured for the training.
Platfontein was among the targeted disadvantaged communities to be trained to design their own reusable sanitary towels.
Recycled material will be used.
The project was started by Nerina Smith from Cape Town.
Smith said she has already presented the opportunity to the community and has gotten the go-ahead.
Ritchie and Roodepan are also expected to be beneficiaries of the training programme.
Smith said the project is aimed at sharing the skills of making sanitary pads among women in rural areas.
“We encourage them to share these skills with other women,” she said.
According to Smith, she came up with the initiative two and a half years ago when she visited Kenya to attend a church conference.
“I noticed the high level of poverty there and learned how girls were suffering and being stripped of their dignity during their monthly periods. They are continuously being labelled by their teachers and being told how ‘filthy’ they are. It was heartbreaking to learn that some of the girls end up committing suicide due to a situation that they don’t have control over.”
Smith said she was assisted by a friend to make sanitary pads to distribute to the most impoverished areas.
Her friend passed away in 2021.
“We visited three villages where we also donated hand sewing machines to accompany our training programme. The machines will assist because the villages also experience electricity challenges.
“The women are now able to make the sanitary pads and share their skills.”
She said she received many calls on her return from Kenya.
“I offered the training programme to more countries, including my own.”
She said she managed to establish a branch in Pretoria
“Pastor Louise Farland, from Late Harvest Ministries in Ritchie, called me and told me about the Platfontein community.
“I was more than willing because the Northern Cape has always been close to my heart. I have previously worked well and was previously welcomed by the community of Ritchie.
“I did my research and realised that the Platfontein community will appreciate it. I have already committed to come and give the first training to a selected group that will be the front runners.
“I will be monitoring, and come every three months to head the training,” said Smith.
