Teacher buys pads to keep girls in class
Liapeng Raliengoane
Thaba-Tseka – At Bokong Community High School, tucked in the rugged mountains of Thaba-Tseka, one teacher has become more than an educator. She has become a lifeline for female students, ensuring that something as natural as menstruation does not stand between them and their education.
Every month, ‘Matumisang Mafito sets aside a portion of her modest salary to buy sanitary pads for learners who cannot afford them. She keeps the packets tucked away in her desk drawer, ready to hand out discreetly whenever a girl needs them.
Her decision, she says, was born out of compassion and also from a painful reality she witnessed too often: bright young girls missing class simply because they did not have menstrual products.
“I realized that most of the time when schoolgirls were absent, it wasn’t because they were sick,” Mafito explains. “It was because they were menstruating and had no pads. One day I asked them why they missed school and they told me it was because of their monthly periods. I couldn’t just watch them fall behind.”
The problem became even more personal one afternoon when Mafito encountered a young grade 11 student in distress. The girl’s uniform had been stained so heavily with blood that it could not be hidden.
“I sneaked her out of the building so other students could not see her,” Mafito recalls softly. “I gave her pads and told her to go home to bathe and change clothes. It is an incident that really touched my heart.”
For Mafito, such moments confirmed that period poverty is not just an inconvenience. It is a barrier to dignity, confidence and learning.
Before Mafito began her quiet initiative, about three girls missed school each week due to menstruation. Now, she proudly reports, not a single learner stays home because of periods.
The impact is visible in the classroom. “Girls are more focused, less anxious and more confident,” says Principal Manthatisi Jobere. “What Mafito has done may seem small to some people, but to these students, it has made a world of difference.”
Teachers and education experts agree that absenteeism caused by menstruation often leads to lower performance, declining self-esteem and in the worst cases, school dropout. For girls in rural areas, where poverty is already a challenge, missing classes regularly can be the beginning of a cycle of disadvantage that is difficult to break.
Still, Mafito admits the initiative is far from easy. As a teacher in a rural community, her salary is already stretched thin. Buying pads for dozens of girls each month requires sacrifice.
“It is not sustainable,” she says, “but I cannot turn away a child who comes to me in tears. If she has no pads, what else can she do but stay at home? That is not fair. Education is for everyone.”
Mafito herself hopes her efforts will spark a larger conversation, one that leads to real change at school, community and national levels.
Period poverty refers to the inability to afford and access menstrual products, sanitation, hygiene facilities, education and awareness to manage menstrual health.
Period poverty is not unique to Bokong. Across Lesotho and the wider world, millions of girls and women face the same challenge. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), period poverty is not just a health issue but a human rights challenge that undermines dignity and equality. It creates barriers to education, employment and full participation in society.
The 2022 Menstrual Health and Hygiene Situational Analysis conducted by the Ministry of Health with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), revealed challenges such as limited access to sanitary towels, fear of soiling, misconceptions and menstrual pain.
“Menstruation should never be the reason a girl is left behind,” UNFPA stresses. The agency promotes comprehensive solutions: access to menstrual products, proper hygiene facilities in schools, education to normalize menstruation and policies that dismantle harmful stigma.
July this year, UNFPA in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development, convened a five-day co-creation workshop on menstrual health and hygiene.
The workshop brought together government representatives, civil society organizations and grassroots initiatives. Its purpose was to validate sustainable, cost-effective and community-driven models for the universal distribution of sanitary pads in Lesotho.
This workshop formed part of UNFPA’s ongoing support to the Government of Lesotho in addressing Menstrual Health and Hygiene including period poverty. Through collaborative sessions, stakeholders reviewed proposed supply chain models for the distribution of pads, including both school-based and community-level mechanisms. They also worked on developing educational messages and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure the program’s long-term impact.
The initiative goes beyond simply providing pads. It seeks to empower adolescent girls and young women aged 10–24 with education on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV) and the prevention of child marriage. In doing so, it tackles the interconnected barriers that continue to hold young women back from fulfilling their potential.
In Lesotho, some Non-Governmental Organizations and individuals have tried small-scale distribution programs, but gaps remain, especially in remote areas like Thaba-Tseka, where access to shops and affordable products is limited. For many families, sanitary pads are a luxury compared to food or other essentials.
For the girls at Bokong Community High School, Mafito’s desk drawer is more than just a source of pads, it is a symbol of safety and dignity. The knowledge that assistance is available when they need it allows them to sit in class without fear or shame.
Despite the financial strain, Mafito remains determined. She dreams of a future where no teacher has to dip into her pocket for such necessities because schools and communities will have structures in place to support girls.
“This is not just about pads,” she emphasizes. “It’s about dignity, equality and giving girls the same chance as boys to succeed. If girls are in class, they are building their future. And that future is worth every sacrifice.”
Her words echo beyond the small village of Bokong. They carry a reminder that education is not only about books and classrooms, it is also about ensuring that no child is left behind because of circumstances they cannot control.
Until broader solutions arrive, Mafito’s quiet act of generosity continues to shield her students from shame and silence. In a simple drawer full of pads, she has built a bridge between hardship and hope, one that keeps girls in class and dreams alive.
