MANTSOPA Rotary Club has donated reusable sanitary pads to a group of 30 teenage mothers in Matelile, Mafeteng this week, a shot in the arm where among the many reasons for teenage mothers’ low retention rate is lack of affordable hygiene products that enable them to do their daily routines.

While the sanitary pads will help the girls to manage their menstrual periods - a natural and routine part of life for healthy girls and women - in some parts of the country it is accompanied by shame and fear.

Lack of sanitary pads means women cannot take care of themselves, stay clean and comfortable during their menstrual cycle but this gesture by the Mantsopa Rotary Club will restore their confidence, independence and dignity.

President of the club, Makhetha Motšoari told Maseru Metro that they wanted to make these young mothers aware that there were people who cared for them, and recognised their presence and plight as young mothers and girl child.

He said the donation also marked last year’s Women’s Month celebrations to honor women and show them their importance.

Motšoari said the selected group was chosen with the help of the local clinic where they attended their clinical appointments before, during and after their pregnancies.     

For some girls, menstruation often means missing a week of school every month if the family struggles to put food on the table and the purchase of sanitary products is more impossible to the teenage mothers.

Otherwise, the belief that menstruation symbolises womanhood and indicates readiness for marriage and sex has left girls and teenage mothers vulnerable to a host of abuses, including child marriages, sexual violence and early pregnancy.