Join the #ClothPadRevolution and donate sustainable, resuable pads to keep girls in school and give them a chance to improve their lives.
We've visited over 200 schools and helped more than 131,000 girls so far. We offer complete reusable pads kits that give girls all the menstrual pads they need for the next 5 years. Our pads empower girls, help keep girls in school and help save the environment. We also facilitate fun, educational activation events, which help to breakdown the negative stigmas around menstruation. We work within your budget to achieve the greatest impact.
Girls who can’t afford sanitary pads sometimes resort to using makeshift pads such as toilet rolls, rags or foam from old mattresses. In the very rural areas, girls sometimes even use cow dung, dried into patties and wrapped in cloth. None of these solutions are hygienic or reliable. Palesa Pads helps girls to manage their monthly period safely and with dignity.
According to research done by Stellenbosch University about 30% of female learners in South African schools miss between 3 to 5 days of school when they menstruate as they cannot afford reliable hygiene products. The equates to about a 90 days of their school year. As a result, many of these girls fall behind in their schoolwork and ultimately tend to drop out of school. Often, being at home more during the day leads to them becoming victims of gender-based violence and/or teen pregnancy. Palesa Pads reusable cloth sanitary pads help to keep girls in school.
Disposable pads can take up to 800 years to decompose. A typical woman will put about 9,600 disposable sanitary products into the environment during her menstruating lifetime. It is critical that our generation starts choosing sustainable products that help to minimise this ever-growing waste.
Our activation events are one hour long and consist of uplifting entertainment in the form of singing and dancing plus a menstrual health education talk and demonstration of how to use and wash Palesa Pads.
We want the girls to appreciate how miraculous their bodies are and to be proud of themselves! We answer many questions that they might not feel comfortable asking a teacher or parent. We are always impressed with how eager the girls are to learn.
Where possible we include a motivational talk from an inspiring woman, usually a representative of the sponsor.
Watch some of our events below or find our YouTube channel here!
Download our activation events brochure below for more info on how many products to sponsor to qualify for a free activation event, event agendas, branding, and other event related info!
It is reasonable to expect that a girl would wear one pad for 8 hours, which means she would need 3 pads per day. We recommend a donation of 6 pads so that a girl has pads to wear while she washes and dries the others. However a few pads are better than no pads so we have smaller packs available too.
Many girls do not have decent panties, which can cause pads to slip. We offer panties to add to your donations as well, according to a sizing guide.
We propose the following packs as schoolgirl donations, particularly in rural areas.
4 x reusable sanitary pads for light to very heavy flow.
4 x reusable sanitary pads for light to heavy flow and a cleaning kit plus a drying clip.
6 x reusable sanitary pads for light to very heavy flow.
6 x reusable sanitary pads for light to heavy flow, and a cleaning kit plus a drying clip and a hand mirror.
If your organisation has made a donation and you would like to request a Section 18A tax certificate, please submit the required details by clicking below. Please note that as of 1 March 2023, SARS require some additional details to what was required previously.
