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Youth walk 90km to support woman and collect hygiene packs for girls

Members of the uMzansi Youth in Business non-profit organisation embarked on a walk of more than 90km to raise awareness about gender-based violence and to collect hygiene packs for young women.
Members of the uMzansi Youth in Business non-profit organisation embarked on a walk of more than 90km to raise awareness about gender-based violence and to collect hygiene packs for young women.
Image: supplied

Members of the uMzansi Youth in Business non-profit organisation were on the last leg of their more than 90km walk from Pietermaritzburg to Durban to raise funds for hygiene packs for young women on Friday.

The group of 11 walkers was expected to arrive in Umhlanga, north of Durban, on Friday afternoon.

They departed from the organisation's office in Sweetwaters, Pietermaritzburg, on Monday.

uMzansi Youth in Business CEO Mbongeni Zuma said the campaign to collect essential toiletries for underprivileged girls was fuelled by the growing number of women who die at the hands of their intimate partners.

It began when the organisation discovered that a Sweetwaters woman, Akhona Mncube, 19, who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, was financially dependent on him.

“There is a dire need for eliminating a growing entitlement tendency that men have over their partners. We thought about this and figured that our move cannot just be a normal campaign. We want to make a meaningful impact,” he said.

Along the route, the walkers planned to knock on doors and approach businesses for support.

Nonjabulo Khuzwayo, who is part of the group, said that they had already collected more than 2,000 sanitary towel packs.

She said the campaign aimed to collect 10,000 hygiene packs.

Each pack includes toothpaste, a toothbrush, facecloth, deodorant, roll-on, sanitary pads and body lotion.

“When we distribute this we would not be doing this in a conventional way, but rather we would be going to the beneficiaries and interacting with them. We want to start a conversation that will lead to their empowerment,” Zuma said.

TimesLIVE

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