After a few weeks of much-needed rest, the Foundation’s offices reopened on the 8th of January, and we hit the ground running.
Our partnership with Mbizana was solidified in 2017, and the Foundation visits O.R’s birthplace, Nkantolo, a village in the north of the Eastern Cape’s Mbizana Local Municipality, at least twice a year. Hosted by the Mayor of Mbizana, Ms Daniswa Mafumabatha, we visited on the 24th of January.
In 2017, the Tambo Foundation pledged to assist the girls with sanitary towels at three schools in Nkantolo: Qobo Junior Secondary School (JSS), Oliver Tambo Technical High School, and Kantolo JSS. With the support of the Telkom Foundation and the Imbumba Foundation, the first 6-month supply was delivered mid-2017.
Our visit last week brought along the second 6-month supply, and this time around, we were also joined by our friends from Indayi Communication, CANSA and SANRAL. At each school, health officials from the Department of Health gave the girls and boys puberty talks. The talks were given separately, giving the pupils the space to ask any questions they may like. SANRAL provided information about scholarships for Grades 10-12 and bursaries for university degrees. Indayi also handed over sanitary towels and with the assistance of CANSA, provided a breast cancer awareness talk at the local clinic. Sanitary towels were also handed over to the clinic.
The best performing school in the district, Marelane High School, was added to the roster. The school, with over 1300 pupils – 750 being female – is also desperately need of sanitary towels. The Foundation, Indayi and Imbumba pledged their support for the school going forward.
All in all, the three days spent in Mbizana were, as usual, productive and prosperous.
If you’d like to pledge your support towards our Nkantolo sanitary towel project, please email natasha@tambofoundation.org.za. Any help with uniforms and school bags will also be greatly appreciated.