LILLIAN CHIKANDI and OLIVER SAMBOKO write
@SunZambian
A LOCAL non-profit making organization, Chirundu Forum Activists (CFA) has donated clothes and sanitary pads to over 1,500 vulnerable villagers and school going girls in Kapululira area in Chirundu District.
Forum chief consultant, Kawana Mwangala said the distribution of free sanitary pads by his organisation would help in tackling rampant girl child absenteeism in rural schools.
Speaking when his organisation donated sanitary pads and assorted clothes to the vulnerable villagers and school going girls at Kapululira secondary school, Mr. Kawana said girls in rural areas opted to stay away from school during their menstruation period because they could not afford to buy expensive pads.
He said distribution of sanitary pads by his organisation had come as a huge relief to the economically disadvantaged girls in Chirundu.
Mr. Mwangala said that his organisation would continue with its programme of empowering vulnerable girls and women in rural areas.
Currently, vulnerable girls in rural Chirundu were using potentially harmful materials such as banana fibre, paper tissue and cut out clothes during their mensural periods.
Mr. Mwangala said the forum was committed to spearheading development in the area to improve the living standards in rural Chirundu and surrounding areas.
He said his forum would soon visit Chiefs Simoonda and Chipepo to explain its vision and mission in order for them to appreciate what his organisation was doing in their chiefdoms.
Recently, some quarters of society called on Government to immediately start free distribution of sanitary pads to girls in rural areas to encourage female learners to attend classes even when they were menstruating.
