Nedbank responds to Hlokomela Banana appeal

Nthatuoa Koeshe

QUEEN ‘Masenate Seeiso’s Hlokomela Banana Trust Fund recently received a huge boost in its efforts to improve the lives of girl children from Nedbank Lesotho who heeded its call to donate sanitary ware to three high schools in the districts of Butha-Buthe, Leribe and Berea.

The donation was hailed by ‘Mabokang Buts’ana, a teacher at Butha-Buthe Community School, who said it would go a long way in ensuring that girls did not miss out on school whenever they were experiencing their menstrual periods.

“We sometimes use out own money to buy sanitary ware to assist those in need but our efforts always fall short most girls at the school are from vulnerable households,” Ms Buts’ana said, adding that the donation would “impact the girls in a positive way”.

Another teacher at the Lekokoaneng High School, Mants’upuoa Lephoto, also thanked Nedbank and Hlokomela Banana for the donation, saying it would assist the girls who often found it difficult to discuss their sanitary needs and ended up bunking school.

“The donation will bring change in many schools as there will not be any more students skipping school due to lack of sanitary towels,” Ms Lephoto said.

For her part, Nedbank’s Senior Marketing Manager, ‘Mamoabi Phori, said the bank found it necessary to respond to Hlokomela Banana’s request for assistance and decided to support five schools this year.

“We decided to do quarterly donations to Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Berea, Mafeteng and Mohale’s Hoek for this year and we will continue this programme for the next three years but with different schools,” Ms Phori said.

One of the beneficiaries who cannot be identified because she is a minor, also expressed her gratitude to Nedbank for the sanitary towels which said was a necessity.

“In most cases I am assisted by the teachers and classmates and sometimes it is embarrassing to always ask them for sanitary towels so I choose not to come to school until I am done with my menstrual periods,” Ms Mota said, adding that pads were expensive at the shops and buying them on a monthly basis was a challenge especially as she was looked after by her unemployed grandmother.