During our time contributing to the Malaika Kids Home. We came across the knowledge of the great impact of period poverty. Not only did many girls in local communities beyond Hillbrow not have pads, they also had limited knowledge on period hygiene and female development which poses a risk of infection & restricts their dignity.

A story that shocked our chairperson was when she visited a community in Diepsloot where a lady shed light of a story that explained how at night women were too afraid to go to the communal bathrooms to clean themselves during their menstrual cycles as they were often harassed or threatened with rape on their journey there.

We then decided to introduce the Female Factor project which aims to provide sanitary pads to girls in the Malaika home and schools in Daveyton of which a few are schools catered for children with severe disabilities hence making them amongst some of the most vulnerable young girls.

However to add a ‘’Balloon Foundation Twist’’ of including an added factor of empowerment we are in the process of developing a period hygiene education program. Furthermore we have also previously hosted skills development programs at the NISA centre which included CV development skills, and basic business start up skills put together by local women who were eager to share their expertise.

Hence we are creating both opportunities of empowerment and creating an advocacy platform for vulnerable women in local communities and we invite both ladies and gentlemen to join.