FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joint Statement issued by:
IkamvaYouth
Mudita Brands
BLUME Communities
Tripartite Partnership Forged to Combat Period Poverty, Championing Women’s Rights
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – August 27, 2025 – In a bold tripartite collaboration aimed at creating lasting value and systemic change, IkamvaYouth, Mudita Brands, and BLUME Communities have joined forces to combat period poverty and champion women’s rights. Anchored in the Becoming Me: Free to Dream initiative, this partnership represents a direct investment in the academic success and economic future of marginalised young women and girls. The launch coincides with 2025 National Women’s Month, celebrated under the theme “Building Resilient Economies for All.”
A Crisis of Dignity and Education
For too long, a silent crisis has undermined a generation of young women and girls. A study in the South African Journal of Child Health found that up to 7 million girls miss a significant portion of their given school year each month simply because they lack access to sanitary products or the understanding to navigate this natural part of life without shame. This absenteeism leads to poorer academic outcomes and increases drop-out rates. A separate study in Gauteng province showed that girls without sanitary products were more than twice as likely to miss school (46.27%) compared to those who had them (22.49%). Research from a University of Johannesburg study highlights that the problem is compounded by inadequate sanitation facilities, a lack of clean water, and the stigma surrounding menstruation, which are significant contributing factors, often forcing girls to be absent from school during menstruation or revert to the use of unhygienic alternatives.
“The joint initiative provides a tangible solution that directly contributes to a reduction in absenteeism and improved academic performance,” said IkamvaYouth Spokesperson Shane Everts. “By removing this barrier, we ensure a pathway to improved pass rates, leading to improved access to tertiary education and employment. This is an investment in the long-term resilience of our economy”.
The partnership tackles the complex realities faced by youth, especially young women and girls, including gender-based violence, social barriers, economic challenges, and the silent crisis of period poverty.
A World-Class, Holistic Model
“This tripartite collaboration is a testament to the power of synergy, with partners who have come together to co-create and co-invest in systemic change,” says Everts, “The programmatic interventions of the IkamvaYouth Psychosocial Support Programme align perfectly with the vision and purpose of Mudita and BLUME Becoming Me: Free to Dream” initiative”, Everts concluded.
South Africa’s education system operates within a complex socio-economic landscape, where systemic inequities and resource constraints disproportionately affect marginalised communities. Quintile 1-3 high schools, which serve the poorest communities with no tuition fees, confront daily challenges in environments dominated by poverty, crime, violence, and gangsterism, managing high incidences of learner trauma and mental health issues without access to psychosocial support resources. The absence of adequate counselling services, coupled with severe resource limitations, places an unsustainable burden on educators, who are not equipped to address complex learner needs, such as trauma stemming from violent surroundings or mental health challenges exacerbated by socioeconomic stressors. Despite repeated government calls for interventions to provide psychosocial support and alleviate these burdens, schools remain critically under-resourced, exacerbating the strain on teachers and hindering learner retention and academic success.
The intervention is delivered through IkamvaYouth’s community-based psychosocial support program. With a 21-year track record of accelerating academic outcomes, IkamvaYouth provides the core psychosocial, academic, and career support.
The program’s objectives are to:
- Reduce Learner Dropout Rates: Aim to reduce the dropout rate among learners by providing psychosocial support to enhance learner retention
- Achieve Referral Uptake: Ensure that a vast majority of learners and their families access psychosocial services, including mental health counselling and support, with a significant focus on female beneficiaries to address Period Poverty and GBV.
- Sustain Retention in Care: Maintaining a high retention rate for learners and families engaged in ongoing psychosocial support, preventing disengagement and supporting educational continuity.
- Facilitate Transition to Academic Tutoring: The program aims to transition a majority of learners to IkamvaYouth’s core academic tutoring program, thereby enhancing academic performance and mitigating youth unemployment.
With the support of Mudita Brands and BLUME Communities, the program infuses mentoring and coaching, meditation, mindfulness, and self-healing, empowering girls to connect with their inner potential and cultivate emotional balance and resilience.
Product Innovation
In addition, the collaboration will supply high-quality, reusable sanitary pads that are proudly produced locally in South Africa by South Africans, supporting local industry while providing dignity to young women and girls.
Developed through multiple prototypes and rigorous testing, these pads are crafted from organic, environmentally friendly fabrics. Their flat, comfortable design ensures effective absorption for both light and heavy flow, with overnight protection lasting up to 10 hours. Easy to wash and built for durability, they offer a sleek alternative to traditional bulky designs. The result is a product that feels premium, performs reliably, and is poised to rival existing reusable options currently in circulation.
“The initiative is built on the belief that every girl possesses the inner strength to rise. The result is a fusion of proven approaches, creating a holistic model that is both innovative and deeply relevant in today’s South Africa,” says Nani Ferreira, who leads the BLUME Communities Global Impact Team in South Africa and also serves as Social Impact Project Co-ordinator at Mudita Brands.
“This initiative tackles these challenges head-on, shifting narratives and helping girls reimagine what is possible by fostering safe spaces for self-discovery and growth. The program equips young women and girls with the tools to thrive with dignity and stay in school”, concluded Ferreira.
The partnership’s vision is bold: to scale nationally, reaching every girl across South Africa. By combining Mudita and BLUME’s shared purpose with IkamvaYouth’s established framework and on-the-ground expertise, the program offers a sustainable, scalable model for empowerment and education.
This expansion represents more than mentorship; it’s a direct investment in a generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers. By providing access to guidance, dignity, and quality education, the joint initiative offers a compelling solution for investors and development partners seeking measurable, lasting impact on the lives of young women and their communities.
-ENDS-
Lloyd Lungu