The NDF Women's Network has donated sanitary pads and toiletries worth N$110,000 to learners at Nakuntwe and Muzii Combined Schools in the Zambezi Region.

The donations are sponsored by August 26 Logistics.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by NDF's Army Commander, Aktofel Nambahu, and Chief of the Defence Force, Air Marshall Martin Pinehas, he said the donation aims to restore dignity, promote personal hygiene, and help learners affected by floods earlier this year to remain in school.

"We have witnessed first hand how the rising waters in the floodplains cut off access, forcing our brave learners and teachers to rely on canoes or face relocation just to keep the flame of education burning. For the girl child, natural disasters exacerbate a silent crisis, poverty-driven or period poverty. When families are displaced or struggling to find clean water and food, buying sanitary pads or hygienic products becomes a luxury they cannot afford."

Glenda Simasiku, the Head of the Gender Division, explained that their duties extend beyond national security.

"Our duty is not only to defend our national borders but also to support and protect and uplift our communities in times of crisis. Through this donation, we aim to restore comfort, restore dignity and ensure that our girls and boys can remain in the classroom where they belong and focus on their education without anxiety."

Zambezi Governor Dorothy Kabula said the kind gesture comes at a critical time as learners prepare for their examinations.

"This donation will ease the burden of stress from our learners. The donated items which will be provided to the learners will sustain their needs, and their concentration will be more on their examination preparations. I therefore call upon our learners, teachers and parents to take this donation as a motivation to strengthen our learners' preparation towards examination."

The initiative, dubbed "Securing the Future of the Namibian Child", highlights the NDF Women's Network's commitment to supporting vulnerable communities through partnerships, particularly in times of crisis.