vision.

A world where women are empowered, where period poverty does not exist, and where menstruation is not taboo.

mission.

Periods for Hope fights period poverty through the provision of reusable sanitary pads and breaks the stigma around menstruation and teenage pregnancy through knowledge dissemination because these challenges result in gender-based violence, and a disregard for the safety and dignity of South African women.

objectives.

Providing reusable sanitary pads to women and girls in impoverished communities.
Educating male and female scholars about reproductive and menstrual health with a primary focus on the link between these topics and gender-based violence.
Reducing the stigma around menstruation and empowering women and girls by promoting their sense of self-worth.

Our Story.

What began as four university students’ small idea has matured into a registered non-profit organisation that proudly continues to serve communities in need.

Periods for Hope (PFH) was founded in 2016 by four university students when they set out to raise funds to provide sanitary products to homeless women in Cape Town, South Africa. The team completed a 700 kilometre cycle over 11 days from Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay and managed to raise R85 000. After the successful provision of hundreds of sanitary kits (consisting of reusable pads and some self care treats) to women at The Haven Night Shelters all around Cape Town, the team quickly realised that there was a lot more work to be done to fight period poverty.

Since then the charity has become a registered non-profit organisation (226 - 728 NPO) and has assisted thousands of women and girls across South Africa, as well as educated many more young boys and girls about reproductive and menstrual health and gender-based violence. Our focus audience has pivoted over time from homeless women to male and female scholars. At the same time, the work we do has expanded from only providing sanitary pads to include education and knowledge dissemination. Increasingly, this is done through our ‘train-the-trainer’ approach, in which we equip local leaders with the knowledge and skills required for them to educate others in their own communities on menstrual and sexual health.

PFH has become a platform through which members of the South African community can make a lasting difference in the lives of others.