At Qrate, we value collaboration with organizations. On the 27th of August, the Qrate team (Mbali & Mogau) with the assistance of our Founder and Director (Candice Chirwa) delivered an interactive presentation on period education to the Ford Motor Company (FMC) female employees for their Women of Ford event.
Women of Ford Event
For Women’s Month, Ford (an automotive company) wanted to highlight the extraordinary women behind the #BuiltTough brand who are predominately responsible for creating the vehicles seen on South African roads. In addition to this celebration, Ford has made a ground-breaking feat by offering period products within their Ford factories and facilities through medical vending machines!
Women of Ford South Africa is an employee resource group dedicated to the unique needs of women of FMC. Their vision is the empowerment and development of women in the company by creating an inclusive environment that fosters female authenticity and equality for women. The day includes speeches from the Chief Financial Officer (Yota Baron), Ford’s FCSD Director (Maja Smith), and Ford’s Plant Material Flow Engineering Manager (Lesego Madiba) and we were graced by an amazing performance by Thandi who works at the Manufacturing facility!
Ford FCSD Director Maja Smith speaking to the crowd
Our mini workshop included a quick-fire quiz session, where we tested the Women of Ford employees’ knowledge on period poverty, and afterward, we conducted our popular Alien Game period product activity where 5 Ford employees were tasked with presenting different period products to the rest of the group. Following that, we ended off the workshop with our Qrate Menstrual Pledge and our Vagina Chant. In honoring our partnership with Ford, we donated a copy of Flow: The Book About Menstruation to the Ford Library to ensure the employees have access to menstrual education outside of the workshop. Social Media Lead, Londeka Mkhize thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and the passion and dedication the Qrate Team provided on the day.
Facilitators Candice & Mbali conducting the Period Poverty Quiz
We’d like to thank the Ford Motor Company for honoring us and their employees in ensuring a period-positive environment at their facilities!
We have been really busy with various menstruation workshops, but this one was an extremely special event! We partnered with an organization called Ceramic Industries which is a manufacturer of ceramic tiles and bathroom ware. Ceramic Industries has various factories in South Africa and as part of their CSI program, Ceramic Industries empowers young children in schools through access to extra mathematics and science lessons. Along with this program, Ceramic Industries has recognized that young school girls in particular need access to period products to not miss out on any school days.
With this in mind, On the 4th and 5th of August, Qrate stepped in to provide Menstruation Workshops for 10 schools in the Hammanskraal and Vaal area over a two-day period. In Hammanskraal, we impacted 355 learners from five schools, and on the 5th of August, we impacted 299 learners in the Vaal area. The fun-filled and jam-packed workshop kickstarted with a set of icebreakers to get the girls excited about menstruation. Following that, the facilitators presented an animated video that explains periods in a fun and enlightening way to be a launchpad for a True or False educational quiz that asked the young girls questions about the basics of periods, period products, and debunking period taboos.
Following that, the young girls participated in another interactive game where facilitators presented different period products to test their fellow classmates’ understanding of period products and menstrual health. This activity always affirms for the Qrate team that the world has educated young menstruators who are knowledgeable about the different menstrual products. The workshops tested the knowledge of participants’ knowledge of menstrual health and education. The students were extremely excited and confident and all participated with smiles on their faces!
The project consultant of Ceramic Industries Mathabo Tlali was incredibly impressed by the energy and confidence that the facilitators brought and were hopeful that the world now has confident and empowered menstruators. We are honored to have worked with Ceramic Industries and look forward to serving and providing more communities with menstrual education.
If you’d like your organization to experience the Qrate Menstruation Workshop, please send an email to info@qrate.org.za
On the 29th of July in support of Discovery, Qrate was tasked with providing another Menstruation workshop to the girls of Tswelopele Secondary School. With the aim of ending period poverty the Discovery Health Period Positivity initiative headed up by the Functional Enablement & Central Services Team, Discovery donated period products to Tswelopele Secondary School. This donation will ensure that periods will not be an obstacle to school girls’ life.
The Senior Girls after the Qrate Menstruation Workshop
Our facilitators (Candice, Felicia, and Slu) had two sessions on the day. The first session occurred in the morning with 360 girls from Grade 8s and Grade 9s. The juniors engaged really well with the content and asked a lot of questions about different period products. The facilitators were amazed to learn just how excited and confident the juniors were about periods.
Morning Session with the Junior Girls
In the second afternoon session, which had 500 learners, the facilitators taught the girls about various period products and most importantly made the seniors take a period pledge. This session contained a LARGE group of girls who were excited to learn more about periods and the various period products that existed.
Facilitator Felicia explained the reproductive system to the girls
Out of the tasks, we asked five girls from both sessions to present period products, and the top presenter received a copy of Flow: The Book About Menstruation co-written by our Founder and Director, Candice Chirwa. The other girls received a menstrual cup from Mina Cups!
Qrate and Discovery Team
We are happy to have worked with Discovery and Mina Cups. Collaboration is key in providing a holistic solution to ending period poverty. If your corporate would like to host a CSI initiative focused on period education, please send an email to info@qrate.org.za!
Qrate facilitators Candice & Felicia speaking to Roedean Grade 11 girls in a menstruation training workshop
Hello Qraters!
On the 23rd of July, Qrate spent the day at Roedean High School in Parktown, Johannesburg South Africa to conduct a TWO fun-packed menstruation training workshop. As a part of their community service program, the twelve grade 11 students will spend the day at a community center to donate period products (Pads from Blossom Care Solutions and Mina Cups) and provide menstrual education to 20 girls.
For the first hour, Qrate facilitators Candice & Felicia provided menstrual education that covered: The basics of menstruation followed by an interactive quiz on period poverty, different period products, and unpacking period myths and taboos. The students participated with keen eagerness to learn and participate in the content.
After a 10-minute break, the students came back to then learn how to be a facilitator. This session focused on explaining different icebreakers, going through different menstrual activities, and finally ending it off with our Period Pledge & Period Positive Walk in which the students received a certificate for their participation.
Workshop Reflections:
Teacher Charlotte Hulley thoroughly enjoyed the workshop session and in particular enjoyed how the content was delivered to the students. Further, Charlotte was extremely happy to see that her students were eager to learn and engaged throughout the two hours.
One student, Nuha labeled the workshop with the statement: “Yass!” which further supports the excitement she and the students have in providing menstrual education as part of their community service program.
We at Qrate wish the grade 11 students the best of luck in their program! Go and End the Period Stigma!
On the 17th of July, Qrate hosted a workshop for 60 participants for the JGF Annual Summit. We spent an hour teaching the participants about Menstrual Health Education and they learnt a lot about themselves and their bodies.
Workshop Activities:
The fun-filled and jam-packed workshop kickstarted with a video that took the participants on a visual journey of the experience of the first period in a world of full-fledged positivity and support for periods. The video was a thought-provoking launchpad that set up an interesting conversation to ease into the workshop.
The workshop included an eye-opening quiz that assisted the participants to debunk numerous menstrual myths and taboos. The quiz exposed the participants to glaring statistics that illustrated the sheer magnitude and impact of menstrual inequity that persists in society. This activity aided to contextualise the challenging circumstances that millions of menstruators face throughout the globe.
The activities that followed suit were all about empowering the participants to get comfortable with openly using menstrual jargon with pride and confidence. To take it a notch further, the participants also engaged in an interactive session about the different types of menstrual products and their varied applications. The Qrate team can proudly affirm that the world now has a fresh group of young adults who are knowledgeable about the different menstrual product options and their uses.
Workshop Outcomes:
The workshop highlighted to the participants that menstrual inequity is everyone’s problem therefore, it requires everyone to work toward breaking the period stigma. The JGF Annual Summit participants reflected this sentiment as they all actively engaged with the content of the workshop. In addition, the participants took on a period pledge to confirm their commitment to advocating for menstrual health.
A lot of work needs to be done to protect the human rights of menstruators. The bottom line is that change starts with rejecting period shaming and embracing period positivity. This change needs to be driven by awareness raising and menstrual education for everyone.
Let’s change mindsets and overturn regressive systems!
Workshop Reflections:
The project manager of JGF, Jade Glenn was incredibly impressed by the dynamic way the workshop was conducted and how the facilitators made the fellows have fun on a topic that is often seen as awkward.
One of the workshop participants enthusiastically shared that the workshop equipped them with the tools and knowledge to educate and empower young girls in their community on menstrual health – now this is what we call a domino effect!
We are honoured to have hosted this workshop in collaboration with JGF. We are looking forward to more stimulating workshops!
If you’d like your organisation to experience the Qrate Menstruation Workshop, please send an email to info@qrate.org.za
We mostly hear myths about menstruation as South Africans. And often, these myths lead to young women to feeling embarrassed and outcasted for experiencing something that happens to them every month.
My experiences about menstruation were that I can’t cook for my dad or any male when I am on my periods cause bad luck would follow up. I can’t allow any woman on her periods to touch my hair or else my hair will fall off and last but not least I can’t be around men when on my periods cause it’ll make my blood flow heavier and I might lose a lot of blood.
Afrika Tikkun’s students writing down their thoughts in QRATE’s Menstruation workshop.
“How many more myths and untrue stories should we hear, listen and digest about being a woman on her menstrual cycle?!”
It’s time we normalized menstruation and found pride with walking out of a classroom full of boys and see no harm nor embarrassment about flashing our pads, tampons, and menstrual cups just so it suits best for boys, men or the society.
Smiles all around!
Luckily, I was able to participate in the Menstruation workshop offered by QRATE. I found the workshop to be fun, dynamic and engaging. QRATE has taught about being confident in your own skin, body and own life without thinking “What are people going to say?” The workshop opened our minds about being content with the way you are born. The QRATE workshops not only teach girls about menstruation but about how oneself can be proud of being a WOMEN.
I am glad to have experienced QRATE’s Eduliftment!
Janet creatively explaining the tampon.
#POWER TO WOMEN✊
#WOMEN RUN THE WORLD✊
#WOMANDLA✊
#IMBOKODO✊
#EDULIFTMENT4KIDS
Janet Nomveliso Gilman is a 22 years old student who is certified in Project Management. Janet is also a Young Urban Citizen and a passionate activist for Gender-Based Violence & LGBTQI+ rights.
Follow her on Instagram: (@gilmanjanetn) and Twitter (@janetgilman)
