A new project, which aims to give easy access to sanitary products in Malawi, has been launched in Arbroath.
The Dalitso Project, which started at St Andrew’s Church in Arbroath, but later became an independent charity, supports poor communities in Malawi and is appealing for donations of ‘pants for the poor’ as part of their new Ulemu Project.
Chairperson Charis Bowie explained: “Here in Scotland, in most cases, women have easy access to sanitary products, whereas in Malawi this is not always the case.
“Products are expensive so the average Malawian female cannot afford them. This means that even in 2018 women have to often hide away or use anything they can get their hands on.
“When products can be found they are not easy to dispose of and can be damaging to the environment.”
Ulemu means dignity in Chichewa, the Malawian language, and the project is asking for donations of new pants that will form a pack containing a reusable pad, pants and soap, all in a discrete drawstring bag.
The Arbroath initiative has already received phenomenal interest locally.
Ms Bowie continued “These packs will be made available to girls in our care and will also become a business opportunity for some of our older girls leaving school as they sew the pads and sell the packs to the community.
“We are therefore appealing for readers to get involved by buying packets of pants, size 8 and 10 only, to be sent out to be used in this scheme. Pants can be dropped off at RS Joinery, 27 Lindsay Street, Arbroath.”
Organisers predict that demand in the community for the packs will be high – with increasing numbers of girls coming into the care of the project.
The project’s Facebook page received more than 11,500 views in less than 24hours, and some donations have already been received. Organisers say however that the project is an ongoing one, so the need for donations of packs of pants will continue.
Ms Bowie concluded: “Why not each weekly shop buy a pack of pants and every couple of months hand these in for this ongoing work?”
The latest initiative follows more than a decade of success for the Dalitso Project which was founded after a trip to Malawi by seven young people in 2007.
