29 Jun 2024

Lucara Botswana has pledged continued support to Bobirwa District Council chairperson’s sanitary pads drive owing to their adoption of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
The company believed that provision of sanitary pads to a girl child advanced several SDGs as they were not only vital necessity for the health and dignity of school-going girls, but also a significant step towards achieving shared global goals.
Speaking at the BDC chairperson’s health walk that culminated in donation of sanitary pads to six boarding schools under BDC, Lucara Botswana’s assistant general manager, Mr Lucas Ntsipe said provision of pads was a crucial step towards gender equality.
“It addresses a significant barrier that disproportionately affects girls, empowering them to participate fully in education and other activities, which aligns with SDG 10: reduced inequalities. We are sending a powerful message that every girl deserves the right to manage her period with dignity and confidence,” said Mr Ntsipe.
He called for creation of a world where no girl child’s education was hindered by her periods and encouraged donors to continually support the chairperson’s sanitary pads drive in various ways as calling for policy change, volunteering and donations.
At an event where Lucara Botswana donated P10 000 to support the drive, Mr Ntsipe outlined that the company had been supporting the cause in other parts of the country like a donation of 2 000 pads to schools in Moshupa, 5 000 for learners in Boteti and 4 000 for schools in Kanye.
It had been stated that donation of sanitary pads assisted the girl child to avoid missing school days, embarrassment and even long-term educational setbacks.
While donating a thousand sanitary pads per school to Mmadinare Senior, Matshekge Hill, Motlhasedi Junior, Tsetsebjwe Junior, Molalatau and Gobojango Junior schools, BDC chairperson, Mr Kgomotso Mmereki said the donation would help address the dire need at those schools.
“Those who have been boarders before can fully appreciate the situation we are trying to address here,” said Mr Mmereki, who was hopeful that the initiative, which started in 2022, would continue to be watered even post his era.
The 6 000 pads, reportedly purchased from around P90 000, were donations from individuals, organisations and companies and purchased from Bloom, a sanitary pads manufacturing company in Selebi-Phikwe. ends