SANITARY PADS: Organisation comes to the rescue of women living with disabilities

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Reporter

DISABILITY in Development and Services (DDS), an organisation for women living with disabilities got a shot in the arm on Wednesday when they received sanitary wear for women and girls living with disability in Bulawayo.

The organisation comprises King George 6 Centre workers who founded it to foster development and address the needs of women and girls with special needs.

Speaking after receiving sanitary wear from Matebele Queens organization, DDS chairperson Ms Courage Chipatiso said she was grateful the donors had embarked on a pad campaign to meet their needs.

The pads were collected on the International Women’s Day in March and DDS will be receiving a monthly supply of pads courtesy of Matebele Queens.

“We decided to start this organisation to empower women and girls with disabilities as we have been known to be beggars. Although we formed this organisation in 2009, we have only just started working on our activities, one being to foster development amongst ourselves,” said Ms Chipatiso.

“We have been ridiculed, ripped off our dignity as women and sometimes we struggle to fund basic needs like sanitary pads given our economic status. We are therefore grateful for this gesture by these ladies, it will go a long way in addressing some of our challenges. What touches me is they went a step further and purchased brands that are user friends as we cannot any other brand.”

She said besides sanitary wear, the women need psychological support to be able to embrace their disabilities and still function well in communities.

“We are also working hard to remove that beggar mentality from our members and have them rise and take up opportunities that are available. We need to start working towards financial independence so that we are able to buy ourselves pads and big things like wheelchairs.

Matabele Queens Bulawayo director Ms Nomagugu Mabusa said it was the duty of every woman to empower fellow women and girls in every possible way.

“As Matebele Queens we embarked on a pad campaign and decided to remember our sisters here at King George who may be struggling to access sanitary wear. We have therefore decided that we will meet all your monthly sanitary wear needs as a way of showing our community that one simple gesture can go a long way in empowering women,” said Ms Mabusa.

-@thamamoe

 

 

You Might Also Like

Comments