1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,240 Speaker 1: And on the line by the founder of the New 2 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: Heritage Foundation, chantal Gala Chantelle, what a pleasure to have 3 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:09,119 Speaker 1: you with us. And first off, congratulations on the recognition. 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, Bearah Jane, I'm happy to be 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 2: here and thank you for the opportunity to share those Yeah. 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: For those who may not be familiar with the work 7 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: that you do at the New Heritage Foundation, won't you 8 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: just explain and maybe give us a little bit of background. 9 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 2: Okay, So, a New Heritage Foundation focuses on ending period 10 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 2: poverty through period impacting mesatives and therefore we make sure 11 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 2: that the girl child at school has sanitary paths to 12 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 2: make sure that she don't be absent, because that's what 13 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 2: happens to the out of ten goals are absent or 14 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 2: they completely drop out. And then we also from various conversations, 15 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 2: we realize that conversations are missing around the topic of 16 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 2: reproductive health and so we've added that as a program 17 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: in primary and schools and that's what we are focusing 18 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 2: one through that mission to mpiod poverty in South Africa, 19 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 2: not just with paths, but with conversations and education around it. 20 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: What does what does winning the voice and Choice summit 21 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: mean for you and your organization. What's It's always nice 22 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: to be recognized for the work that one does, but 23 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: beyond the award, what does it mean. 24 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 2: It really means the acknowledgment of what is missing and 25 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 2: what came out of it. Genderling's has provided us funding 26 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 2: to do the programs as as a form of understanding 27 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 2: basically what was missing and out of these conversations not 28 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 2: just for the girl child, but for the boy child 29 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: as well that happily joined in. The Leave school in 30 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: Langa was where we started the program at and these 31 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 2: boys came in. And before that teachers couldn't just send 32 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 2: boys to and have the conversation opening when goals came 33 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 2: and needed senateory pads. And since our program, the boys 34 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 2: are our happily going fetching pads, bringing pads to school 35 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: and also being taught in our program. They're now teaching 36 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: their mothers at home and willingly go buying sanitary pads 37 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 2: at shopping malls for their sisters. And also while they're 38 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 2: in the line, educate men to say that this is 39 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: not something to be ashamed about. Actually this is for 40 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 2: my sister, or this is for my mother and some 41 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 2: households have just boys in and they are now mindful 42 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 2: of how to help their mother to say, if you're 43 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 2: on your period, we can help you actually because we 44 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 2: know how it must feel for you when you're on 45 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 2: your period. And if you don't have pads, we can 46 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 2: actually make because we also teach them how to make 47 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 2: make pads, because most of the girls still uses the 48 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 2: alternative of toilet paper, which is harmful to the productive. 49 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: Help because period poverty is actually very real, very real. 50 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: Chancel, explain to some of the biggest challenges that you 51 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: as an organization, and similarly the biggest challenges that communities 52 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: face when it comes to issues around sexual and reproductive 53 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: health and right, and what I'm hearing from your last 54 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: answer is that stigma is still quite a big problem. 55 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 2: Absolutely, and so it's all the very minimal conversations that 56 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 2: are being held in our homes as a topic, because 57 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 2: it's got so much more. We have such a high 58 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 2: increase on teenage pregnancy, HIV infection, sexual transmitted diseases in 59 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 2: young people, so much dropouts in both boys and girls 60 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 2: in our schools, and this is extends from poverty. But 61 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 2: the real part is a ghost period. Don't stop for 62 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 2: any amount of circumstances that you are born into, and 63 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 2: they are left with choices that they have to make, 64 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 2: and they find themselves in positions that are still very 65 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 2: so much shameful and stigmatized, and they have to decide 66 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 2: whether they're going to school, whether they're writing them and 67 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 2: for most part having to bring the conversations out you years, 68 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 2: still conversations like we are not supposed to sit next 69 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 2: to boys when we are on our period, or not 70 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: to play with boys, because there is still something so 71 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 2: very real, but it's actually there are so much more 72 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 2: that they have to understand why they don't and they can, 73 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 2: but it's the part that they're not supposed to have 74 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 2: sex because they can have they can fell pregnant, and 75 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 2: that's a shame thing that with reproductive health, and when 76 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 2: they get into the adolescent phase, they do have sexual 77 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 2: feelings and that is a real thing, and we need 78 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 2: to be open as parents to have these conversations because 79 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 2: we cannot shy away from it. We cannot leave it 80 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: to a teacher, we cannot leave it to somebody else. 81 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 2: It's something that we have to start doing inside of 82 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 2: our homes because it is real. They are real human 83 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 2: beings and they want to exploit We're not getting to 84 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 2: be real about them having the conversation about what they 85 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 2: need to be doing to protect themselves. And for us 86 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 2: as an organization, our resources are limited in naturally god, 87 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 2: whether it's funding and where the easy resources of people 88 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 2: coming on board with us. You know, that is the 89 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 2: struggle that we have because we cannot as an one 90 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 2: organization help the whole world. We would love to, but 91 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 2: be con't and so but we do get help from 92 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 2: intents that join us, and they get to help transform 93 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 2: every time when we do lessons and the questions come 94 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 2: from us were trying to do so much more and 95 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 2: try and upside those lessons so that it is applicable 96 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 2: for the girls and the boys that we do teach 97 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 2: in the session. 98 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: Chanto, there's an awful lot of conversation around around sex 99 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: and sex education and reproductive health education and that we 100 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: still are in an era where a lot of people 101 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 1: are sensitive to children being given information that they deem inappropriate. 102 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 1: What is your experience in terms of what providing children 103 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 1: and young people with information does to them and allows 104 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: them to have Because the argument the counter argument, yes, 105 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,600 Speaker 1: but it's empowering it's not meant to it's not a 106 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 1: promotion of it's an empowerment of a child. 107 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 2: Okay. So differently, there is sensitivity around age appropriate lessons 108 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 2: that you want to give, but I think it starts 109 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 2: with conversations and you know at what stage you need 110 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 2: to transfer that conversation. For example, grade eight, we already 111 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 2: have goals coming to school and they're already pregnant at 112 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 2: an in grade eight and that is alarming, right, So 113 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 2: what is the missing conversation that needed to be had 114 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 2: from grade seven going into into that new phase because 115 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 2: they are they have the period, and we still look 116 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 2: at them as this child in front of us, and 117 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,359 Speaker 2: we want to baby out children and we want that 118 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 2: as parents. But there's also some children are more advanced 119 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 2: as well. I'm a mother myself. I have one child 120 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 2: that are very advanced and she has these conversations and 121 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 2: we're going to have to have it at some point, 122 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 2: and so for us, it's also having to respect at 123 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 2: what age we are getting it. And within the school 124 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 2: we also have a teacher that's always present and we 125 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 2: don't just go above and beyond. But our conversations are 126 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 2: not it's storytelling, it's dialogue. It's they have to tell 127 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 2: these stories how they feel. It's interactive. It's not what 128 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 2: we tell them. It is a topic that we put 129 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 2: out and we say, okay, let's discuss this. How do 130 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 2: you feel around these things? And just on that grade 131 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 2: eight class, everyone is talking about sex. They want to know, 132 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 2: they want to know everything about it, their bodies and 133 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 2: everything like literally, we feel like we sometimes we feel 134 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 2: that we don't have enough on answers for the questions 135 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 2: because they are our advance and then we're thinking that 136 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 2: this is not normal, but it is actually very normal. 137 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 2: They want to know, and so for that we are 138 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 2: going to have to have the conversations. Leo once Chanta, 139 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 2: we're going to have to leave it there. 140 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: Appreciate your time. Congratulations on the award and the recognition 141 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: of the work that you do. Is there a website 142 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: that we can find you out our Instagram? 143 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 2: People can join us on our Instagram. There's a lot 144 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 2: that's happening over there. Give it to us briefly. 145 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: We've got about ten seconds. 146 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 2: Yes, So it's a New Heritage essay on our on 147 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 2: our Instagram and if you want to send us a 148 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 2: personal email, you can send it to New Heritage essay 149 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 2: at gmail dot com. 150 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: Great stuff, Appreciate your time. Chantalga Life is the founder 151 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:44,439 Speaker 1: of the New Heritage Foundation.