There are so many problems in this world that are seemingly impossible to solve. Problems that involve unthinkable amounts of money and man power and even when resourced, barely seem to make a difference or have measurable outcomes. This, however, is not one of those problems.
Girls around the world are resourceful. When faced with the challenge of not having access to traditional sanitary products, they use pillow stuffing, cloths and newspaper as substitutes, all of which can be a personal health hazard. Most dishearteningly, there is also a culture of young women resorting to using their bodies as currency in exchange for these products.
The Cova Project is an Australian charity dedicated to providing benevolent relief to girls and women of reproductive age across the world who are experiencing poverty, suffering, distress and disadvantage due to lack of financial resources and access to basic necessities.
The Cova Project purchases and supplies menstrual cups to local community partners for distribution to girls and women who cannot afford these products. We work with local community partners to provide menstrual health education tailored to cultural norms and language. We include visuals of the girls created by African artists, to build confidence as they strengthen their knowledge.
In 2018, The Cova Project fundraised for the purchase of over 3,000 menstrual cups to be delivered to South Africa, Malawi and Liberia. In 2019 The Cova Project sends a team to deliver these cups and work with Local Partners on the ground, to significantly improve the lives of girls in each community.
The Cova Project is proud to work in service to this goal.
The answer is simple. Spread the word. Talk to your community. Talk to your friends. Tell the world.
But most importantly, give a cup to someone whose future will be brighter for it, by clicking here.
Monitoring school attendance, where we would expect to see an increase in attendance by girls aged 13-18. Research has shown that shame, fear and uncertainty for menstruating girls stops them from attending school on the days they experience their period. Insufficient information and a lack of disposal facilities in schools are the two main barriers.