A Pinelands non-profit company that distributes free reusable sanitary pads to the poor has now found a Southfield textile firm to make them locally.
SAAGE, founded by Sarah and Gerald Jacobs, raises funds to import a Danish product, Safepad, from India where it is manufactured. But since the beginning of March, the pads that SAAGE distributes have been manufactured by the Southfield company. The fabric is still imported from India.
According to Ms Jacobs, a trained nurse and advocate for women’s health, the product contains a permanently bonded antimicrobial treatment that keeps the pad free of bacteria and fungus.
“It has been on the cards for many years and this will contribute towards making more jobs locally,” said Ms Jacobs.
Founder of the Southfield company, Liezel Ferrier September, said the Indian manufacturers had used online video to show them how to assemble the pads.
“We had to sit through with the technical team from India to understand the process then we would train our staff on the process.”
They hope to produce some 8000 Safepads a month in the future, she said, adding that the opportunity had given three seamstresses full-time work at her company.
Ms Jacobs said she hoped that manufacturing the pads locally would make them more accessible.
Visit saage.co.za or call 073 994 2569 for more information.
