North West students attempt to set world record for longest line of sanitary pads

Students from North West University, in partnership with learners from high schools around Mahikeng, have attempted a Guinness World record for the longest line of sanitary pads, spanning a distance of four kilometres.

Donors have collected approximately 100 000 pads to ensure that girls from disadvantaged communities do not miss school due to a lack of sanitary towels.

Although the goal is to break a Guinness World Record, organisers say they are also assisting young girls and women who cannot afford to buy sanitary pads.

“This is our message across the country to say listen, sanitary pads are expensive and girls and women need access to them at any given point, you do not invite periods to arrive they just arrive anywhere. So in a situation where they arrive and there is no means they can reach out to shopping centres. we want to urge shopping centres in the country to have dispensers, schools to make sure that there are dispensers even at your employment there are women who get surprised by periods, every employer across the country must have dispensers.”

Meanwhile, the university says it will make sure to provide sanitary pads to those in need on campus. Deputy Vice-Chancellor for the Mahikeng Campus, Professor Sonia Swanepoel explains, “To make sure that ladies have dignity we now looking and so happy with Bidvest. they are going to assist us with sanitary dispensers and this is an initiative that we as the community would like to take forward not only for our university students but also for the community around Mahikeng.”