Youth activism that brings real change
Research has shown that girl learners miss an average of seven days of school every month due to lack of access to female sanitary towels. Unfortunately, millions of young girls around South Africa face this reality due socio-economic challenges faced by their families and society at large.
Oken Badianyama is a socially conscious University of Johannesburg (UJ) student that identified the dire need to address social challenges particularly faced by girl learners. He partnered with fellow UJ students, Rally Mulaudzi and Bongiwe Nhlapo, who are equally passionate about giving back. These socially aware young people collectively founded Oken Samuel Foundation in 2017.
They partner with the UJ Community Engagement, the institution’s CSI programme that gives opportunities for students to volunteer in community development initiatives within Johannesburg and surrounding areas.
Due to girls resorting to unhygienic methods during their menstrual cycle, they’re likely to experience long term reproductive health complications. It is for this reason that the foundation chose this challenge and others that affect young women, especially those at school going age. This led to the foundation to launch its flagship initiative simply titled ‘Sister Sister''.
The Sister Sister campaign is centred on the upliftment and the empowerment of young African ladies. “In line with the Oken Samual Foundation values, and in partnership with the UJCE, we aim to help young women deal with challenges and complexities they face.” Said Rally Mlaudzi, one of the foundation’s founding members.
To this end, the foundation has donated about 180 hygiene packs made up of sanitary towels; lotions and hand sanitisers to Thaba Jabula Secondary School in Soweto. “We believe that this is our small contribution towards the restoration of dignity to young women and our small way of providing them with an opportunity to participate in an equal footing with their male counterparts in daily school activities.”
Thaba Jabula Secondary School Learner
For their efforts to be replicated in other schools, the foundation needs donations. Should you want to donate towards this worthy initiative and foundation, contact the foundation at Contact@theokensamuelfoundation.org.
Oken, Bongiwe and Rally are our unsung heroes. We wish them all the best in their endeavours. We salute them!
Recent Comments
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Wow, thank you for sharing this Sokoti247! I know that this is a worldwide problem, especially in poorer and more illiterate areas. This is a real problem because women and young girls will reuse rags and get infections and some die. I have been working with a school in Pakistan for 3 years now and we have not yet addressed this issues but I know that many women over there have infections. I have also been to Pakistan 2 times and would love to visit Africa! I think that it is great that you are bringing more awareness to this issue on different platforms because people should be aware of it!
What I love about this particular initiative is that it's young people coming up with solutions to help other young people. Please do visit Africa. It is a beautiful place and lots of lifetime experiences in store!
Yes, I will visit Africa someday soon. My cousin did 2 years in the peace corps in West Africa and wants to continue doing work there through the non profit that I am setting up right now. Hopefully we can build schools or help support schools over there.