- The City of Cape Town’s cycling team joined forces with a top car dealer to assist the local organisation #AgainstPeriodPoverty in its mission to donate to and educate young girls about menstruation.
- The initiative that aimed to create awareness and gather much-needed donations has seen the collection of 1 130 packs of sanitary pads.
- With 100 packs coming from the IAmForHer Foundation, the bulk of the donations handed over by Monday 18 December came from individual donors.
An initiative to create awareness and gather much-needed donations has seen the collection of 1 130 packs of sanitary pads.
For around a month, the City of Cape Town’s cycling team joined forces with a top car dealer to assist the local organisation #AgainstPeriodPoverty in its mission to donate to and educate young girls about menstruation.
Founded by Lindsay Adams, the organisation hosts talks at schools around menstrual health and donates packs of sanitary pads to overcome period poverty and keep children in school.
With 100 packs coming from the IAmForHer Foundation, the bulk of the donations handed over by Monday 18 December came from individual donors.
These donations could be made at Hey Halfway or any fire station in the metro.
The cycling club was joined by Adams and her Ward 81 councillor, Ashley Potts on a tandem bike for a 25 km cycle from the Grand Parade in the CBD to Lakeside Fire Station on Saturday 2 December.
A bakkie, driven by salesman Gerald Clarke followed the group collecting donations from supporters along the route.
Sandy Boezak, the spokesperson for the City’s cycling team, says as an NGO in the City, they have done outreach initiatives to raise awareness around cycling but wanted to see how they could also give back.
“The guys are always looking for initiatives to support, especially where there is a need and where they can do something to better the lives of someone else,” says Boezak.
“We decided to give back to females, especially in light of gender-based violence. They wanted to give back to girls in need, with something that should actually be free. Something so essential, but something many cannot afford.”
Clarke says he first heard about the team’s involvement from a friend, who cycles as part of the team, and the dealership joined with the support of its dealer principal.
“This was so nice. We did not think there would be this kind of support.”
As a partner to the City, a loan company also came on board to show their support and ride in convoy with the cyclists.
Candace Golding, a branch manager for the loan company, says they assisted with gathering donations as well.
“It was shocking and overwhelming and amazing to see the support and donations,” she says.
Potts, who had cycled years ago, found the cycle exciting and exhilarating.
“When Lindsay started with the whole drive, I was very passionate about getting involved with the drive.
“Her motivation and premise around giving pads free to women is a no-brainer. Every woman deserves to have their menstrual cycle without any stress and this helps remove the cost around that,” he says.
Adams says the support means so much to the girls they will be able to now support.
“It means more than they realise. This is not only creating awareness, but for a group of men to cycle for #AgainstPeriodPoverty, it breaks the stigma and gets people talking. It will benefit so many young girls, keeping them in school,” she says.
