The escalating number of women being abused in Limpopo prompted the young Orifha Rambau of Mashamba Village to establish a movement known as the Female Army.
Rambau (21), who is doing a BSc in Life Science at the University of Limpopo, said the movement was focusing on the domestic problems affecting women on a daily basis. "We are also attending to problems faced by female learners who are missing school when they have their menstrual cycles because of not having sanitary towels. Girls need all the support possible to stay in school," she said.
According to her, the Female Army is there to "give a voice to the voiceless". They have adopted 10 schools in the Vhembe District, with 2 053 girls "from the poorest of the poor families. We supply sanitary pads every month and offer menstrual education."
She added that they had also established a foundation, "Do it like a man", and she manages it with Imani Munyai and Lwendo Mulaudzi. She is also the owner Eccentricflame Empire, an events-management company for young people.
According to her, all the organisations have the aim to curb poverty in all possible ways. "We recently hosted an event that had female bouncers and DJs and the entrance fee was a packet of sanitary pads. After that event, we received a lot of phones calls from people and they are determined to donate more pads".
She said that the biggest challenge was that they did not have funds and were financing the sanitary-towel project mostly out of their own pockets.