Mamohlakola Letuka
SOUTH Africa-based businesswoman and author, Carol Motolo, has called on Basotho to help raise M45 850 to buy 131 menstrual cups for girls at Lepekola High school in Butha-Buthe.
Ms Motolo, the author of Living in Faith- a motivational book- is the founder of Carol Motolo Foundation (CMF), a non-profit organisation that is dedicated to the healthy development of girls and young women.
She recently donated menstrual cups to 17 girls at Lepekola High school- a number she says is grossly inadequate hence her plea to Basotho to help raise money to purchase more menstrual cups.
Speaking to Lesotho Times in a recent interview, Ms Motolo said she was aware of girls skipping school because they could not afford to buy sanitary ware.
She said it was heartbreaking to note that some desperate girls used feathers, leaves, mattress foam, paper, rags during their menstrual periods hence the need for the cups.
She said the cups which had a life span of 10 years were user friendly, adding that she had used them and found them more comfortable and hygienic.
“I chose the cups because they are reusable,” Ms Motolo said, adding this was different from the pads which could not be re-used meaning that the girls had to keep receiving donations.
“These cups are guaranteed to be used for a period of 10 years, all you need to do is sterilise your cup and you are sorted,” she said.
She said that CMF was dedicated to the health and development of girls and young women, adding they were committed to building the self-esteem and self-worth of females by changing their outlook on life, broadening their horizons and helping them to empower themselves through mentorship and educational seminars.
“We enjoy the opportunity to enrich the lives of girls and women through mentorship, education, cultural exploration and public service.
“We encourage girls to live beyond their limitations, achieve beyond their dreams and impact communities beyond their reach,” she added.
CMF offers individual counselling and group support for female survivors of assault and/or abuse.
Ms Motolo said after Lepekola, they would also assist learners at Tšakholo High School, adding they were keen to assist rural schools because most of their students came from less privileged families.
“This is why we decided to start with all the rural schools and moving from one district to another and by God’s grace we will be able to cover all of the schools in our country,” she said.
