The Minister of Social Development, Sharna Fernandez, welcomes the progress being made by the Department of Social Development regarding the roll-out of the R23 million Sanitary Dignity Project to female learners across the Province.
In February 2019, the Provincial Cabinet and Provincial Treasury identified the Department of Social Development (DSD) as the responsible department for the implementation of the Sanitary Dignity Implementation Framework at which point the Minister and Head of Department for the DSD were designated to take responsibility for the project and to establish the Provincial Sanitary Dignity Committee to oversee the implementation of the Sanitary Dignity Implementation Framework.
Minister Fernandez said: “In South Africa, menstrual hygiene and the inability of female learners to go to school when they are experiencing their periods is not just a sanitation issue, nor is it a physiological one. Rather, it is something that has wider socio-economic implications with historical connotations, given where this country has come from.”
Following an analysis of 2016-2018 data on school attendance and retention rates of female learners in Grades 4 – 12 a target of schools have been identified-comprising Q1 – Q5 schools; no-fee paying schools and fee-charging schools. Furthermore, It was decided that the project should prioritize schools in rural areas and include special needs schools.
The Sanitary Dignity Programme will consider a maximum of 222 schools and approximately 90 000 female learners for the project.
“Although there is still so much more to be done, this project will go a long way to promoting the dignity of thousands of indigent female learners,” says Minister Fernandez.
Currently, the Department is seeking to appoint a service provider that can supply and deliver sanitary pads in terms of the stipulated specifications drawn out in the Bid documents. All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope bearing the bid number, bid description and closing date.
A compulsory briefing session will be held on 23 August 2019 from 11:00 to 12:00 at the Kensington Treatment Centre, Kensington Road, Maitland.
Prospective bidders that attend the compulsory briefing session will be required to sign an attendance register before commencement of the briefing session and will be issued with an Attendance Certificate when the briefing session is completed.
All prospective Service Providers are invited to register as a supplier on the Western Cape Supplier Database. Enquiries regarding the registration process may be referred to Ariba Quadrem at the Western Cape Supplier Helpdesk on 0861225577 or (021) 680 4666/ supplierdatabase@ariba.com / Fax: (021) 441 1288.
Furthermore, all prospective Service Providers that are not registered on the Central Supplier Database are requested to self- register on www.csd.gov.za. The Department can assist with registration and the contact person indicated may be contacted. The Department will however not accept any responsibility for bidders that are not registered in good time.
