Date: Wednesday 5^th December 2012

Area: Willowfontein Pietermaritzburg – Dr May Mkhize residence

Group: Young Empowered Woman incorporating Sisters for Life and Ikhayalethu Care centre

Sisters for Life/ Young Empowered Woman (YEW): This organisation is dedicated to the upliftment of young woman in areas affected by less fortunate socio economic conditions. The project is geared towards empowering young woman to realise their true potential and fulfilment of their dreams, hopes and aspirations by offering them skills that will enable them to overcome situations that subjugate them to a life of perpetuating poverty.

Ikhayalethu Care Centre: Established in 2010, the Ikhayalethu Care Centre is an organisation that caters for under–privileged orphaned children. The centre assists children that largely come from the deprived area of Willowfontein near Pietermaritzburg. Ikhayalethu aims at providing the under privilege children from the community of Willowfontein with self-respect, confidence by encouraging the children to further their education so they may all have a brighter future by eliminating self-consciousness and empowering their self-esteem. It has provided these orphans with a platform to grow from and to aspire to look beyond their current circumstances to become better successful individuals.

Number of Girls: 30 ranging from 8 to 18 years old as well as Dr May Mkhize, mentors from the care centre and young woman’s group

1. Aims and Objectives:

• Reach young pre-pubescent women with Product and Programmes to increase their access to education, knowledge of physiological and emotional changes and by so doing increase their self-esteem
• Introduce the rest of the Daintes for Dames team Sue Barnes and Kudzai Mqingwana to the young ladies
• Provide Subz brooks packs
• Implement the program to the young woman
• For all the young girls to be introduced to puberty and understand and know what happens to girls as they grow from a girl to a young woman
• Assess impact with girls and implement additional support
• Coordinate girls clubs

2. Activities for the day

• The young girls gathered in the rondavel
• An opening was made by Kristy Glass and the team was introduced
• Sue started with the program talking about puberty and what happens to young woman using her introductory apron. Thus discussion the body and how and what changes take place
• Dr May Mkhize was involved throughout the event, translating language, giving input and adding valuable contributions from a medical doctor and well experienced woman’s perspective
• Sue then began the second phase with the next apron, talking to the girls about menstruation and what actually happens
• The young girls were constantly asked questions and given the opportunity to put forward their knowledge and understanding as to what happens to them as young woman and the challenges they face
• Girls were then shown their pads, underwear and booklet, how it works and how they need to look after it
• Questions and answer session re information that was put forward to them
• Handing out of packs which was pads and their hygiene packs
• Cold drinks, fruit basket and biscuits

3. Health and Hygiene/ Life skills talk:

• A hygiene talk was given by both Sue and Dr May Mkhize on the importance of health and hygiene for young woman especially during this time
• The environment created was to encouraged the young woman to talk freely and express how they felt
• The young girls responded well and were eager to get involved and participate in sharing their knowledge
• During the discussions topics such as virginity and life skills arose. There was definite need and demand for further education

1. Observations

 

• Although the girls understood most of the English it was good that Dr May Mkhize was there to converse and make sure they understood it all in both mother tongue and English
• A lot of the older girls who Dr May and YEW have been working with were a lot more vocal due to the relationships which has been established
• All the girls were enthusiastic and eager to find out more
• Regular meetings need to be held to create a sense of belonging and togetherness as well as on-going support and guidance
• Regular workshops need to held
• There is a definite lack of knowledge and education of life skills

2. Others areas of interest:

• A young woman from Limpopo joined the event; she was visiting for the holidays and expressed her interest in the program. She expressed the need for a project such as this in Limpopo as the young woman in the area face similar challenges and lack of knowledge and life skills and awareness

3. General

The event went off well. It was extra special as Dr May Mkhize bought about a presence and empowerment to the project. The young girls were very excited to get their pads and more than willing to use them and see how it all works. It has been reported that the young girls have started using their pads since getting them in December.