By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, August 14, Mana: A company responsible for providing flight support in Africa, Thamani Aviation has pledged to provide different support to girls in schools in the country including providing them with sanitary pads in order for them to remain in school and complete their education.

This follows the recent donation of reusable sanitary pads worth MK1.5 million to girls at Yepa Primary School in Lilongwe, which the aviation company made through a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) known as Girl Power for Change (GPC).

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Tuesday, Thamani Aviation Country Representative, Franklin Simbeye said that with their drive the gesture is part of fulfilling their corporate social responsibility in the country.

“We have air craft that pass through Malawi and because they pass through Malawi we make money through the Kamuzu International Airport, since we do business in Malawi our support towards girls is part of complementing our corporate social responsibility,” Simbeye said.

He added that with their move as a company they will make sure that girls in the country are always going to school. 

“We will make sure that no school in Malawi should have girls who are failing to go to school whilst we are here.

“We will work with teachers and chiefs in supporting these girls, the more we do our business in Malawi we will ensure that we support these girls based on their need,” he said.

In a separate interview, GPC Vice Board Chairperson, Maryrose Ikumi commended Thamani Aviation for its gesture saying that it would motivate and encourage girls to remain in school and complete their education.

She also called upon other well-wishers including companies and organization to emulate Thamani Aviation’s drive especially on the distribution of sanitary pads to the girls in schools so that girls should not miss classes when they are doing their menstrual period.

“If many well-wishers can come together to donate sanitary pads to the girls then all the girls in Malawi  will have sanitary pads and we will not have a problem of a girls not going to school  because they are on period,” Ikumi said.

Also commenting on the same, Yepa Primary School Deputy Head Teacher, Gladys Mpoya also hailed Thamani Aviation for their commitment to support girls in schools saying that the gesture would alleviate some of the challenges that hinder girls’ education in the country.