Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri's Ed-Unite campaign helps learners in Limpopo

November 30, 2022 Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri Photo: Indirect Media

Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri chose her home province to announce a new partnership with her Ed-Unite movement.
Learners in a Limpopo school became the first beneficiaries of her campaign, which aims to end period poverty.
"Period poverty is another barrier to education for girls in indigent communities. By tackling this, we are helping bridge that gap," Nokeri said.

Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri chose her home province to announce a new partnership, which forms part of her much-lauded Ed-Unite movement, as learners in a Limpopo school become the first beneficiaries of her campaign.

Ed-Unite by Ndavi Nokeri, in association with Miss South Africa, has joined forces with the Imbumba Foundation and Forever New to help end period poverty through the Imbumba Foundation's ambitious Caring4Girls programme.

Nokeri launched the partnership at the Mashooro Secondary School at Ga Mokgwathi Village near Tzaneen on Tuesday, where she met learners and distributed sanitary pads.

Last month Nokeri unveiled her advocacy campaign Ed-Unite, which aims to bridge the inequality gap within economically marginalised communities and help ensure an equal playing field for all learners.

The programme intends to raise funds for infrastructure and facilities in schools, scholarships and bursaries, medical and menstrual hygiene support, and sports and training.

"It was a no-brainer for me to return to Limpopo and help learners from my home province thanks to the initial monies raised by my Ed-Unite campaign. We will be visiting more schools in other provinces in the new year. I have to thank Forever New and our Imbumba Foundation partners, who are making such a difference on the ground. Period poverty is another barrier to education for girls in indigent communities. By tackling this, we are helping bridge that gap."
-- Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri

Clothing and accessories brand Forever New was the first sponsor to come on board with a pledge of R600 000 to supply sanitary pads and end period poverty as another barrier to education.

The Imbumba Foundation, which has been working directly with the youth in impoverished communities and schools over the past 12 years, has an extensive footprint and experience through the Foundation's various initiatives, including the menstrual hygiene programme Caring4Girls.

It was the first non-profit organisation in the menstrual hygiene space in South Africa and also led the lobbying for the successful abolishment of VAT on menstrual products.

Research shows that girls from indigent backgrounds could miss between 30 and 50 days of school each year due to menstrual-related challenges, with many simply dropping out completely.

Caring4Girls focuses on puberty and menstrual hygiene education, demystifying menstrual-related myths and addressing social taboos. The training component covers the usage, handling and disposal of sanitary products, as well as questions teenage girls may have about menstruation and adolescence and are too embarrassed or scared to ask their elders. It addresses peer pressure issues, sexual and reproductive health concerns, and social issues such as Gender Based Violence.

In 2020, the Foundation launched its own brand of SABS-approved sanitary pads, which are locally manufactured.

https://www.news24.com/channel/the-juice/news/pageant/miss-south-africa-ndavi-nokeris-ed-unite-campaign-helps-learners-in-limpopo-20221130