BY OWN CORRESPONDENT
MBANGWENI – In a significant move to promote menstrual health and protect young girls from vulnerability, NERCHA donated 8,000 sanitary pads for Imbali to His Majesty King Mswati III during the second leg of the Reed Dance ceremony held at Mbangweni Royal Residence in the Shiselweni Region over the weekend.
The sanitary pads were presented to His Majesty the King by the chairperson of the NERCHA Council Ntsika Fakudze who explained that the organisation was presenting the sanitary to the maidens to promote menstrual health. Fakudze informed His Majesty that the sanitary pads were 8000 in total. His Majesty expressed gratitude to NERCHA for supporting the maidens with the sanitary pads.
This initiative, that NERCHA does every year, is part of a broader effort to protect adolescent girls and young women from vulnerabilities that could lead to exploitation by older men and ultimately increase their risk of contracting HIV. The provision of sanitary pads not only addresses immediate health needs but also supports young women’s autonomy and dignity.
Through interventions like these, NERCHA continues to demonstrate that the fight against HIV and AIDS goes beyond health—it involves protecting the social, cultural, and economic foundations that support a healthy and resilient generation of young Emaswati in particular adolescent girls and young women who remain the most vulnerable populations in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The sanitary pads were distributed among thousands of maidens from the Shiselweni region who took part in the Reed Dance ceremony, a cultural event that celebrates purity, unity, and Eswatini’s rich heritage. Excitement was written all over the maidens’ faces as they danced with joy after receiving the sanitary pads.
(Courtesy Pics)
