By Dalphine Tagwireyi
Poverty-stricken Zimbabwean schoolgirls are being forced to resort to using unhygienic and dangerous alternatives to pads during their menstrual cycle.
They are resorting to paper they find in bins, or use socks or old clothes during their periods.
Students from a local high school in Masvingo province exclusively told Scrolla.Africa that they face challenges during their cycle.
They explained that the pieces of fabric they are supposed to use quickly get soaked, so they look for other solutions.
A 16-year-old girl told Scrolla.Africa that she comes from a poor family and when she first experienced her period cycle, her mother gave her such pieces of fabric.
“I am forced to pick up paper that has been thrown away or to tear pages from a book, especially when I am at school, so that I can cover up and not soil my uniform,” she said.
She said the material she uses has resulted in her developing blisters around her private part during her menstrual cycle. This is uncomfortable and makes going to school difficult for her.
Another girl, who is 15 years old, said she uses old socks and sections of old school uniforms, such as T-shirts, during her menstrual cycle.
“My parents can’t afford to buy me pads monthly, and I can’t walk around without anything at those times, so I end up using what’s available so that I don’t soil my clothes.
“We need donations of feminine hygiene products,” she said.
A parent from Chivi rural area in Masvingo, Agatha Masvaure, aged 48, says her family barely makes ends meet. They rely mostly on donations.
“We are mostly given food, and with the little money we make we buy food for our families as well. We encourage our young girls to use alternative materials during their period, because the amount we would pay for pads can buy us 1kg of flour,” she said.
The Zimbabwe ministry of primary and secondary education says it has programmes that distribute pads nationally, targeting rural areas, but civic organisations have painted a different picture.
Pictured above: Feminine hygiene menstrual pads
