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Stand up and support hygienic care for girls and women in South Africa!

P-Mate BV endorses MKI project on menstrual hygiene

Oostvoorne - The Netherlands - September 23, 2010 – The introduction of the P-Mate, a couple of years ago, fulfilled the desire of Dutch women to urinate in a standing position. These days, thousands of women worldwide are using this single-use card board-made device while travelling, during outdoor activities, at events and festivals. P-Mate BV is determined to share this success and decided to endorse the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI)project on menstrual hygiene: ‘Happy Days’. This special project focuses on menstrual hygiene and education of (young) women in South Africa. Of every 5-pack P-Mate that is sold worldwide, five cents will be donated to this MKI project.

The ‘Happy Days project is part of MKI’s ‘Your Hygiene – Your Health’ program. It was started by four students of the Technical University (TU) Delft in the Netherlands, to investigate possibilities in increasing ‘the acceptance, the availability and the affordability of menstrual hygienic means for women and girls in developing countries’. Another major goal is to break down the taboo on menstruation in South Africa. As a result of this taboo many girls and (young) women are not educated in the natural maturing of their body. Because of this ignorance, they use unhygienic menstrual protection such as a newspaper or a sponge. Many times this leads to vaginal infections and inflammations, sometimes with death as a result! The ‘Happy Days’ project focuses on providing information on personal hygiene and educating female trainers to pass on this knowledge to disadvantaged (young) women. In addition, extensive local research has led to the development of a new type of affordable menstrual protection that is entirely designed in collaboration with the future users and can be manufactured with local raw materials, in South Africa or anywhere in the world.

Jack Beerens, General Manager of P-Mate: "Working for P-Mate and my years of experience in the healthcare sector, made me realise that female hygiene is something that is taken for granted in Western Europe. We hardly think about the fact that not everyone in the world has the knowledge on menstrual hygiene or the means to buy hygienic menstrual protection. It is unacceptable to know that women are still dying from the complications of their monthly period! We therefore want to contribute actively and support this valuable MKI-project. By donating five cents from every wallet containing 5 P-Mates, we support and stand for the ‘Happy Days’ project.”

"Prevention through education is the only way to teach girls and women in the townships in South Africa about the way they should take care of their body," says Harold Robles, Founder and President of MKI. "It is fantastic that P-Mate BV has decided to donate a part of their returns to our project. By starting an educational program on hygiene we can teach these women on their personal hygiene and, in the future, prevent many health problems! If we also have the opportunity to produce locally and thus more affordable, we can take this project a major step forward. I would like every woman to get up and support the life of a girl or young woman in Africa!”