High-achieving United States-based Zimbabwean model Andile Mpofu has a passion to see all underprivileged girls go to school without having to worry about sanitary wear and has committed her time to this mission.
Through the Prevention of Academic Disruptions for School-girls (PADS) project, Mpofu aims to secure funds for as many girls as possible to get enough supply per year so that there are no disturbances to their learning.
In an interview with Standard Style last week, the former Miss Zimbabwe-USA as well as Miss Africa-Washington State for the 2016-2017 reign, appealed for assistance to make the assignment a success.
“We were born for such a time as this, with just $20 a girl is afforded an undisrupted school year. I invite each and every one of you to please join me on this journey to serve a desperate and forgotten people,” said Mpofu.
A Business and Economics degree holder from North Park University, the beauty with brains believes education is a right for all and has so far bankrolled an initial scheme at Samahuru School in Tsholotsho, where she went an extra mile to provide underwear for boys.
“Menstruation is not a choice and having sanitary towels should not be a privilege especially if it affects girls’ education, which is a right,” she said, adding that disadvantaged girls were at risk of “missing out on school up to three months a year”.
“That is a term, so I recently sent sanitary towels and underwear enough for Samahuru’s girls [the school has about 125 girls] and it is definitely not enough as we know sanitary towels are only used once, so what about next month when this shipment is done?”
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Shortage of such needs like sanitary wear has proven to have adverse effects on unprivileged girls as they are easily swayed by predatory men into child marriages or prostitution which, according to Mpofu, unfairly hinders them from pursuing their dreams.
“Learning about how other girls’ dreams are cut short by biological clocks that they cannot control is heartbreaking,” Mpofu explained.
“What if one girl is a pack of pads [short] from being an accountant, an attorney, a doctor or a psychologist and you and I can do something about it? Some of these girls might not have parents and/or resources, but they too have big dreams.”
Mpofu may have seemingly taken a detour from pursuing personal goals for the greater good, but transforming this project into a massive non-profit organisation as well as clinching the Miss World title stand at the top of her bucket list.
