Mbekweni’s ‘pad-guy’ seen as community hero for providing free sanitary towels
Cape Town: Founder of the Human Nature Community Project, Shane Titana, has become a hero in his community for making sanitary towels readily available for women in his area, free of charge.
Titana, best known as “the pad guy”, said it was the principles of philanthropy instilled in him by his mother that inspired him to employ his services and do good for the less fortunate. It is for this reason that the Mbekweni resident launched the NPO in 2019.
Titana said market research showed there are young girls who did not attend schools on a monthly basis due to a lack of sanitary towels.
The members of Human Nature Community Project believe a girl child’s right to education should not be compromised because of period poverty.
“During donation handovers we educate young boys and girls about menstruation. Since we have started, we have donated more than 15 000 sanitary towels to community members and schools in Mbekweni.”
“Sometimes we think GBV is only when someone is being physically or emotionally abused. But depriving them of having free sanitary towels is the worst punishment ever in humankind.”
Titana said men must be involved in the eradication of period poverty as a means to liberate young girls.
The NPO’s administrative officer and co-ordinator Asiphe Kamte said she decided to get involved with the organisation when she learnt about how period poverty affects the education girls receive.
“I found that there are girls who don’t go to school because they can’t afford pads, something we often take for granted. More than donating, I decided I wanted to motivate young people to stay in school.”
Kamte said that as professionals who also came from humble beginnings, it shows young people they are also able to come out of poverty if they persevere and stay dedicated.
Over time, Titana explained they saw an increase in the need for school uniforms, shoes, and stationery. The unhygienic state of some school toilets also caught their attention. They took it upon themselves to embark on several more community projects.
The NPO renovated 13 girls’ toilets at Imboniselo Primary School, donated stationery packs at all primary schools in Mbekweni, donated 100 pairs of school shoes and shoes at Desmond Mpilo Tutu Secondary and 50 at Langabuya Primary.
They are also helping Samaritan Feet South Africa, an organisation that donates school shoes. “When I am explaining the situation many kids find themselves in, it is like I am selling a story, but when donors actually see the kids, the actual schools, the places where the kids are coming from, it changes perspectives and encourages charity.”
Weekend Argus