SAZT Founder Machadu Wins International Award for ...

SAZT Founder Machadu Wins International Award for Fight For The Dignity Of The Girl Child

Audrey Galawu

Sanitary Aid Zimbabwe Trust Founder (SAZT) Theresa Nyava-Machadu was the recipient of the World of Difference Award 2022 in the Community category conferred by The International Alliance for Women (TIAW).

Machadu is the founder of SAZT, an organisation that focuses on providing sanitary wear and services to less privileged girls and women who cannot afford them.

The award recognises extraordinary women who support women’s economic empowerment and advancement in society and business.

“I feel humbled and honoured to be one of the recipients of this international award. I want to thank all those who support our cause in different ways to make sure that we continue to fight period poverty.

“This award fuels me to put more effort to eliminate period poverty, especially noting how the cost of living has worsened this year and many women and girls who menstruate are struggling to care for their periods with dignity,” she said.

Machadu was inspired by the challenges she personally experienced to start campaigns to raise money to provide sanitary wear and other menstrual health products to young women who could not otherwise afford them.

She would donate to underprivileged school girls in her community, while also lobbying different stakeholders to act to advance menstrual equity and improve menstrual health management in Zimbabwe.

SAZT also contributed in the crafting of the Education Amendment Bill, with two key proposals to have sanitary wear distributed for free to school girls, and for basic State-funded education.

Machandu says she continues to advocate for better policies for women and girls in terms of sanitary products, services and facilities.

“My ultimate goal is to see government coming up with policies on how to improve menstrual health and hygiene management in Zimbabwe, to see all period taboos and stigma that are entrenched in culture and religion being broken and menstruation being normalised as a normal fact of life,” she added.

TIAW is international organisation representing women and networks from all continents and the World of Difference Award recognises women and men whose efforts have advanced the economic empowerment of women locally, regionally or worldwide.

Economic empowerment, as defined by TIAW, means contributing to the ability of women to earn a living or in some way directly contributing to the economic betterment of other women.