SERVICES
HARMONY IMPORTS PADS IN BULK BALES, SORTS, REPACKS &DELIVERS TO OUR GIRLS VIA THEIR SCHOOLS
By economically strengthening women – who are half the world’s workforce – is not only a means by which to spur economic growth, but also a matter of advancing women's human rights. When governments, businesses and communities invest in women, and when they work to eliminate inequalities, developing countries are less likely to be plagued by poverty. Entire nations can also better their chance of becoming stronger players in the global marketplace. ‘(http://www.icrw.org/what-we-do/economic-empowerment’
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Harmony aims at keeping our South African schools girls at school, learning and growing every school day.
Harmony imports bulk packed high quality pads from Europe and repackages them in a warehouse in Cape Town.
South African women are employed to repack the pads into packs of 10, thereby creating employment and empowering women. The pads are then delivered to the same schools every month, we want the girls to know that they will be receiving the pads monthly so they don't need to stress about their monthly menstruation and what they are going to use. The schools help Harmony to ensure the girls get the pads by getting them to sign for their pads each month and returning the register to Harmony for our records and for our sponsors. The girls are empowered by the idea that they are responsible for collecting and signing for their own pads each month, they are controlling the situation. Harmony is able to track the results of supplying each school; absenteeism, self esteem and academic results of the girls at each school. The principals and educators are already reporting an improvement in attendance and a very definite increase in a sense of self worth and self esteem that the program has created. The girl's self esteem has improved because they can attend school every day without the fear of loss of dignity due to bleeding through in front of their peers, most of the schools are coed which makes it even more humiliating for them if they have this problem. The fact that there are people who care enough about them to address this problem and to return each month also makes them have a greater sense of self worth. The school staff are spending more time focusing on the girls and their feminine hygiene needs because of the program which also contributes to the improved self image.
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THE PROCESS:
Edward Lugard has spent months finding European suppliers with great quality products at very reasonable prices. He negotiates to buy the products in bulk bales from the suppliers as it cuts the shipping cost by at least 50%, this helps us keep the cost of the product as low as possible. Harmony can deliver to the girls at their schools for only R15 for 2 packets of pads which is way below the normal cost of pads in retail.
David Williams, our driver, warehouse manager and all round organizer, delivers to the same schools each month. We want the girls to know that they will receive their products monthly and that they can rely on Harmony. We have been very lucky that in some areas the district head has got involved and is making the delivery and logistics easier for us by allowing us to deliver to a central store and the schools are able to draw from there.
The bales are shipped to Cape Town where they are sorted and repacked into packs of 10 by our wonderful team of women. They are labeled with a label which states "free not for resale" to prevent any theft and resale of the products.
SUPPLIERS IN EUROPE
DELIVERY
The schools who are going to become part of the program need to be prepared to work with and assist Harmony. Harmony needs to have proof that the girls are actually receiving the pads. We therefore ask the school to get each girl to sign a register each month as proof of receipt of their 2 packs of pads. The registers are returned to Harmony as proof for ourselves and our donors that the products are being received and making a difference to the girls.
CHOOSING SCHOOLS
SORTING
