Boys can be relentless at the best of times. But what about when you’re a teenage schoolgirl without sanitary products? The girls in the Bergnek community outside of Polokwane were dropping out of school due to the embarrassment and teasing they had to endure when having their periods. Keabetswe Keith Mosumane noticed this and decided to make GirlsStuff.Period part of his already incredible initiative – Bergnek Community Projects.

So Keith and his friend, Warren Te Brugge (founder of funding Canadian NGO, My Arms Wide Open) started manufacturing re-usable sanitary towels. They plan to reach all impoverished South African communities with these packs of five pads that can last up to a year.

“Now hopefully girls will stay in school long enough to finish Matric,” says Keith.

Bergnek Community Projects was started by Keith in 2011 after his two-year old son died due to lack of medical support following a brief illness in 2007.  Currently there are no clinics in the community and a mobile clinic visits once a week. “No parent should lose a child at that tender age.  I don’t want anyone to go through the unbearably painful experience I had to.” Through the other projects they are hoping to generate enough profit in order to establish a permanent clinic in the community.

Other Bergnek community projects include a water pump; a vertical vegetable garden with over 2, 500 plants which will supply Bergnek and surrounding areas with food; and a brick manufacturing company – creating funds and jobs.

“The future looks good. Our goal is to eradicate poverty, uplift women, empower youth and build a better feature for our people.”

To read more stories like these, more info visit  www.youcanhelp.co.za

This is Keith’s story of help.

If you would like to help:

Keith Mosumane

(c) 072 389 8719

email: info@girlstuffperiod.com web: www.myarmswideopen.org