Helping Your Community Forum, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has donated sewing machines to 10 women from Mwenilondo Primary School Mother Group in Karonga District to enable them sew sanitary pads for girls.

In an interview on Friday, the NGO’s ambassador Jenny Patricia saidher organisationraised funds in the United Kingdom to buy the sewing machines to economically empower the women and help girls to get reusable sanitary pads.

She said the initiative will help five primary schools in Sub-Traditional Authority Mwangolera in the district.

Said Patricia: “The sewing machines will enable them to produce between 50 and 100 reusable pads in an hour, therefore, they will be able to supply in higher quantities in schools.

“If all goes on well, we will raise more funds to buy more sewing machines and distribute to other mother groups in the district.”

On her part, Mwenilondo Primary School mother group chairperson PodgeWellus said the sewing machines will not only ease their work in sewing the pads, but will also increase production that will in turn enable them to reach out to many girls.

“Since last year, we have made 1 500 reusable sanitary pads that have been distributed to five primary schools, but with the machines, we can produce more,” she said.

The organisation’s founder David Ghambi said they want to complement government’s efforts to promote inclusive education.

“A survey we conducted established that most girls do not attend classes during their menstrual periods due to lack of sanitary pads,” he said

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