Nelson Mandela Foundation

The Trek4Mandela/Caring4Girls campaign officially gets under way on Wednesday 10 June 2015 at the Winnie Mandela Secondary School outside Tembisa.

Research shows that girls from marginalised backgrounds could miss up to 50 days of school a year by not having access to sufficient sanitary care.

The Trek4Mandela/Caring4Girls initiative aims to raise R40-million in order to support 270 000 impoverished schoolgirls with sanitary pads for a year, ensuring that their access to education is not disrupted at this key point in their schooling careers because of menstrual challenges.

The first of many donations takes place on Wednesday at Winnie Mandela Secondary, and Trek4Mandela Founder Richard Mabaso says more than 700 girls at the school will receive sanitary pads and ongoing support.

“This historic occasion will be featured on Morning Live between 6am and 7.30am, with anchor and Trek4Mandela climber Leanne Manas reporting live from the school,” says Mabaso.

On Mandela Day, on 18 July 2015, a number of celebrities and businesspeople from across South Africa will scale the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro in order to raise further awareness for this cause.

“The Winnie Mandela informal settlement is one of the poorest informal settlements in the Ekurhuleni metro, with a high prevalence of orphaned and vulnerable children who come from child-headed households. They mainly survive on social grants,” says Mabaso.

“Winnie Mandela Secondary School is one of many schools that will benefit from this campaign throughout South Africa."

“As part of the Mandela Day philosophy, we invite everyone to ‘Take Action and Inspire Change’ by supporting this initiative,” he says. “SMS 42513 to pledge R30 to the cause. You can pledge more than once.”

Click here to visit the Trek4Mandela website to find out how you can take part in the Kilimanjaro climb.

Every donation helps the Trek4Mandela teams realise their collective goal, and in line with Madiba’s vision helps ensure that everyone in South Africa has access to education.