On Sunday 7 April, hundreds of cyclists of all ages and fitness levels are expected to take over the streets of the greater Strandfontein area, all for a good cause.

Organised by non-profit organisation #AgainstPeriodPoverty in collaboration with the City of Cape Town Cycle Team, the goal is to collect sanitary goods.

After hearing about the plight of two girls in her community in 2019, Westridge local Lindsay Adams founded the organisation not only to keep girls in schools but to ensure they are educated on menstrual health (“On the pad to greatness”, People’s Post, 5 September.)

“The stories you hear. These girls are using rags, newspaper and toilet paper. This catapulted me into action. I need to do something because not all of us are fortunate to have these things. It is not a luxury, it is a necessity,” she said at the time.

Hoping to continue this momentum into this new initiative, they are estimating more than 100 cyclists will join the event in April. No pre-registration is required and bins will be located at the starting point and along the route. Locals are also encouraged to come and support the cyclists along the way.

“We are creating awareness and raising awareness around period poverty. People need to be made aware that it is a human issue. For the cycle team coming on board as a group of men, they are instrumental in getting the word out there and spreading this message,” she says.

stigma

This also breaks the stigma, she says.

This partnership started with a December awareness cycle from the City to Muizenberg (“Cycling against period poverty”, People’s Post, 19 December).

Sandy Boezak, the spokesperson for the City’s cycling team, said at the time that as an NGO in the City, they have done outreach initiatives to raise awareness around cycling but wanted to see how they could also give back.

“We decided to give back to females, especially in light of gender-based violence. They wanted to give back to girls in need, with something that should actually be free. Something so essential, but something many cannot afford.”

During this initiative, more than 1 000 packs of pads were collected throughout the month by the cycle team and partners.

The cycle event will start and end at Strandfontein Sports Complex. The course will run for just under 14 km and all bikes, ages and fitness levels are welcome.

reached thousands

To date, the organisation has reached thousands of girls, with Adams taking the aid outside the borders of Mitchell’s Plain, visiting schools and organisations across the province in areas such as Ceres, Khayelitsha and Rylands, also visiting religious organisations and anyone who needs her assistance.

“The story that really hit home is that there is no menstrual health. I do not just hand over sanitary goods. I realised that many girls don’t understand much about their periods.”

Entry to the cycle event will cost five packs of pads per person. These pads will be donated to impoverished girls as part of the organisation’s outreach initiatives. The event is fully permitted and will be supported by the City’s law enforcement agencies. No road closures will be in effect.

TygerBurger is a proud media partner to the event.