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Manicaland Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) has called on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Manicaland to assist vulnerable girls in the province with sanitary wear.

ZNFPC provincial manager Mr Dyson Masvingise said the situation was dire, especially in Chimanimani and Chipinge, where hundreds of girls were affected by the devastating Cyclone Idai.

Some of the girls are failing to attend lessons during their menstrual periods.

Mr Masvingise said they were working on a strategy to engage all NGOs in the province to familiarise with their annual plans and assess where such noble initiatives could be squeezed in.

“We are planning to engage all NGOs so that they provide us with their work plans for the whole year,” he said.

“We will then educate those NGOs without a plan for such noble initiatives to find where to fit them because the situation on the ground is dire and requires the involvement of all.

“This initiative of engaging NGOs is being implemented after the ZNFPC realised the need to secure the intervention of well-resourced organisations for the survival of the project since most girls in rural schools are failing to attend lessons during their menstrual periods.

“It is against this background that we are calling (on) all NGOs in Manicaland to chip in and assist the vulnerable girl child, especially from rural areas, with sanitary wear.”

Mr Masvingise said the programme involved educating people on family planning issues, and was mainly targeted at people in plantations, rural areas and new resettlement areas.

“These are the categories that need aid the most,” said Mr Masvingise.

ZNFPC provincial marketing and communications officer Mr Daniel Maromo said the organisation would come up with an itinerary that would be used to encourage provision of sanitary wear to both school-going and out-of-school girls.

“We are planning to have a diary that will include all NGOs and will encourage the provision of sanitary wear to the girl child, especially those in rural areas,” said Mr Muromo.