STANBIC Bank Zimbabwe has donated reusable sanitary pads to 775 primary and secondary school girls from across the country worth $1 426 000 as part of its commemoration of women’s month.
The Standard Bank Group subsidiary partnered Talia Network — an organisation that represents the interests of the girl child and donated sanitary wear to girls from Musara Primary and Secondary Schools in Glendale (50 Km North West of Harare), Pote Secondary School in Domboshava and Mukombami High School near Bhora Growth Point.
About 280 girls from Musara Primary and Secondary Schools, 250 girls from Pote Secondary School and 245 from Mukombami High School received sanitary wear courtesy of Stanbic Bank with the support of Talia Network over the last week.
Each girl received a pack with reusable pads and undergarments.
Stanbic Bank marketing manager for sponsorships, events and CSI, Lucy Dlodlo said Stanbic Bank is committed to the wellbeing of the girl child hence the effort to meet these girls’ sanitary wear needs.
“As a financial services institution we are committed to supporting the community we operate in, and the underprivileged girl child and her needs are among our top priority. We understand the challenges faced by girls in terms of securing or sourcing sanitary wear and once again we partnered Talia Network to make this gesture for the girls,” said Dlodlo.
She said Stanbic Bank has over the years supported school girls especially during women’s month through donation of sanitary pads, adding that going forward this is going to be an annual activity.
In 2018, Stanbic Bank female employees raised over 900 packets of disposable pads and complimented by 2 500 packets of non-disposable sanitary napkins purchased by the bank for disadvantaged girls living in rural areas.
The donation was aligned with the commemoration of the International Women’s Day in March as the Stanbic ladies aimed to celebrate this day in a more impactful manner.
Talia Network founder, Saliwe Zakaria, was on hand to offer invaluable information to the girls about how to use the pads as well as keep them clean.
Zakaria’s organisation, which makes pads, goes the extra mile to train recipients not only about hygiene but livelihoods and life skills.