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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
FOOTBALLERS Union of Zimbabwe (Fuz) yesterday welcomed a donation of sanitary pads worth $30 000 by a senior cop as a timely boost for women’s football players whose income has been wiped out by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fuz vice-president Herbert Dick and former Mighty Warriors’ captain Nomsa “Boys” Moyo took delivery of the pads donated by Assistant Commissioner Sithulisiwe Mthimkhulu at their Bulawayo offices yesterday.

According to Fuz, more than 400 women are going to benefit from Mthimkhulu’s gesture.

The pads will be distributed to 12 Bulawayo-based women’s teams.

New Orleans, former Premiership side Barrow Jets, Highlanders Royals, Magwegwe, ZRP, Street Sets, Mpopoma High School, Sobukhazi, Entumbane, Ubuntu, Hearts of Oak as well as Biya and Friends are going to receive the pads.

Retired footballers will also be given packs.

Mthimkhulu, an avid football follower, who has in the past donated to rural communities in Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces, said the silence around women’s football had inspired her to source for the pads.

Assistant Commissioner Sithulisiwe Mthimkhulu

“No one is coming out to ask for donations for women in sport, who have been affected by Covid-19. We have read about the plight of men’s soccer teams during the Covid-19 lockdown, but nothing is said about women. I decided to extend this gesture and donate to Fuz, who have a register of women’s footballers, and they will distribute these pads to their affected members,” said Mthimkhulu.

“My plea is to all women, mothers and sisters, as well as corporates, who have the capacity to spare some resources to remember the girls out there who can’t afford sanitary wear. A single pack of pads bought while doing groceries can help a person,” she said.

The price of sanitary wear in the country has gone beyond the reach of many and a number of women and children are reportedly resorting to unorthodox sanitary hygiene methods.

Many young girls and women develop infections and sometimes life-long reproductive health issues because they are forced to improvise, as they cannot afford sanitary products.

Sexual reproductive health rights activists say the high cost of sanitary wear is infringing on women’s sexual reproductive health rights.

Most common sanitary pads brands in the country are imported and the closure of borders has resulted in soaring prices.

Low priced sanitary pads are scarce and most shops have stocked expensive brands.

Moyo, who is also the Fuz administrator for the Bulawayo office said the donation would assist the girls at a time all attention is on men’s sports.

“Mthimkhulu has come at the right time considering that most of the girls can’t afford to buy these expensive imported brands. Our hope is that we will get more people like Mthimkhulu extending such gestures towards improving the lives of the girl-child,” said Moyo.— @ZililoR