2017-07-13Staff Report 2 Aina Simon Ongwediva-Maltas Club Namibia recently donated sanitary towels to more than 50 schoolgirls at Eluwa Special School in Ongwediva in Oshana region. Maltas Club Namibia is a non-profit organisation that aims to uplift young and poor people throughout the country. The initiative of donating sanitary towels was intended to keep rural girls in school by empowering them with the most necessary materials needed to keep them in school. University of Namibia-based Dr Wilfred April, the founder and facilitator of the project, explained that the club collected 10,000 boxes from Unam students and other corporates, such as First National Bank, Dinapama and Woermann Brock. Oshana Governor Clemens Kashuupulwa, who officiated at the handover, commended the Maltas Club Namibia for their committed effort to assist young people in Namibia. He said the initiative would help improve hygiene, give hope and enhance the lives and aspirations of young women in Namibia. Kashuupulwa further said the affordability of sanitary pads and other products remains a challenge to young girls who are often forced to use alternatives that place them at high risk of contracting infections. “This problem does not only put their health at stake, but also prevents young girls from attending school regularly,” he observed and emphasised the need for parents and teachers to educate both boys and girls about the importance of sanitary towels, saying gone are the days when such information was hidden from boys who were left to learn about it in biology classes. He further called all Namibians to emulate the good example set by Maltas Club Namibia. “We need to make a contribution in the Harambee spirit in order to assist our young people,” Kashuupulwa stressed. Since the inception of the project in 2015, schoolgirls from three schools in Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto have benefited from the club. Eluwa learners expressed gratitude towards Maltas Club Namibia, saying they were really happy because sanitary pads are not always readily available to them. * Aina Simon is an information officer in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in Oshana Region. 2017-07-13Staff Report 2
