In July, Old Mutual Foundation teamed up with the Imbumba Foundation, Dis-Chem Foundation, and Dis-Chem Pharmacies to support the annual #MillionComforts campaign. Now in its seventh year, the campaign collects around 10 million sanitary pads from Dis-Chem customers to donate to girl learners and ensure they don’t miss school during their monthly periods. Research by Imbumba has found that teenage girls living in poverty can lose up to a fifth of their high school education because they do not have access to feminine hygiene products.

The Old Mutual Foundation’s call to action to employees this year was to collect 480 000 sanitary pads to reach a target of 15 000 girls in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia as part of Mandela Day 2021. Old Mutual employees were encouraged to visit their nearest Dis-Chem pharmacy to buy at least one packet of sanitary pads and donate in-store.

Head of Old Mutual Foundation Fikile Kuhlase says: “At Old Mutual we’re committed to creating the kind of change that makes a positive, sustainable impact.

The Million Comforts initiative seeks to empower schoolgirls by giving them the opportunity to gain their education without interruption. Last year nearly 9 million sanitary pads were donated and distributed to impoverished communities. This year, more than 10 688 000 million sanitary pads have already been collected.

Richard Mabaso Imbumba Foundation CEO says: “The Partnership with Old Mutual is very close to our hearts. This partnership is more futuristic in its approach, and we seem to be consistently reaching new frontiers. It is about ending period poverty that through this support, social inclusion is enabled to ensure that girls stay in school and contribute towards the economy in future.”