Sanitary pads for vulnerable girls
In efforts to raise awareness of the challenges faced by many girls around the world, Capricorn Group employees donated over 16 500 sanitary pads to more than 50 vulnerable young girls from orphanages and communities in Windhoek on Tuesday, which is commemorated at the International Day of the Girl Child.The foundation receives numerous requests for financial assistance from projects that aim to support vulnerable girls with the production and supply of sanitary pads. The group recognises the increased plight of disadvantaged young girls in vulnerable communities, and their struggle to acquire sanitary pads, which often keeps them away from school for a few days of the month.
The Capricorn Group decided to use the International Day of the Girl Child as an opportunity to support Namibia’s Girl Child in a tangible way and called on their employees to donate sanitary pads and wipes. The aim was to ensure that the identified girls received at least a year’s supply of sanitary pads, with the remaining pads being handed out to the orphanages not present at the event.
The run up to the handover saw many employees from the Group and its subsidiaries Bank Windhoek, Capricorn Asset Management and Entrepo Holdings, going out of their way to purchase sanitary pads and towels to help keep a girl in school.
“Research shows that underprivileged girls can miss up to 50 days of school per year due to the lack of access to adequate feminine hygiene products,” Marlize Horn of the Capricorn Foundation said. “We therefore encouraged our employees, in support of our purpose of being Connectors of Positive Change, to not only avail their time to spend with the girls, but also to donate their resources to purchase these feminine hygiene products. This way we are all doing our part to support and empower a young girl.”
The handover of the sanitary pads was accompanied by an afternoon filled with fun events and a meal served for the girls, as well as an inspirational talk by Miss Namibia’s Second Princess, Diana Andimba.
“I feel like I am on cloud nine. I am happy to receive pads for a whole year, and happy to be here having some fun,” one of the recipients said.