BY OWETHU DLAMINI
MBABANE- Hygiene is in the Right Hands!
The Ministry of Education and Training received 1 200 packs of sanitary towels today from the Right Hands South Korean Non-Governmental Organisation to be distributed in schools.
In attendance of this activity were Minister of Education and Training Lady Howard Mabuza, Principal Secretary to the above ministry Bhekithemba Gama, the Right Hands Organisation Director Daniel Kim, the Right Hands Executive Director Son, Jeong Bae and the Right Hands delegation.
Daniel Kim mentioned that the NGO has been helping and supporting the nation for five years in the field of hygiene, feeding for nutrition helping local communities.
“I’m glad we finally came here to meet the honourable minister under the ministry of education and one of their main projects in the country is the hygiene issue,” said Kim.
He stated that five years ago, when one of their team members visited Lavumisa, they visited the local school and noticed when some girls did not come to school because of their period.
Kim said this was brought to the attention of the Right Hands team for discussion and that is when the donations were initiated in 2018.
The Honourable Minister thanked Daniel Kim for this initiative, expressing much appreciation and gratitude as well as mentioning how the Right Hands Organisation had been assisting the people of Eswatini as they had previously donated sanitary towels in December 2021.
“The Right Hands is already supporting three local schools with sanitary pads since 2018 through Daniel Kim. The ministry appreciates this donation, it could not have come at a better time as we are recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mabuza.
The minister raised the issue of school-aged girls being affected by not having means to access sanitary pads and mentioned that it was a great concern that the ministry is looking into, but would need support from organisations willing to lend a helping hand just as the Right Hands Organisation had done.
“A number of school-aged girls in marginalised communities face the largest barriers to Menstrual Health Management (MHM) as many schools do not have the necessary facilities, supplies and understanding to appropriately support girls during menstruation. This negatively impacts their education and ability to stay in school.
“This donation will go a long way in terms of supporting our existing Incaba Care and Support for Teaching and Learning (CSTL) Program by strengthening the provision of CSTL essential package of care and support, which seeks to address the many barriers by learners in assessing education” added the minister,” added the minister.
The belief that females are the only people who are to deal with these issues as they are in regards to them was dismissed by Mabuza as she highlighted that Kim is male.
“It is interesting to note that the Director of the Right Hands South Korean (NGO) is Daniel Kim, a male. This should help us and the larger society to dispel the notion that it is taboo for males to speak about menstruation, rather let us encourage males to be conversant with menstrual health management issues in order to extend the necessary support to their female counterparts,” expressed Mabuza.
The minister revealed that she hoped that this donation would strengthen the relationship between Eswatini and South Korea.
