Concentrix + Webhelp and Blossom continue partnership to fight period poverty and empower women in Gugulethu.

Concentrix + Webhelp, a global leader in customer experience (CX) solutions and technology, is taking a stand against period poverty by extending its partnership with Blossom Care Solutions to provide funding for the latest Blossom site, which recently opened its doors in Gugulethu.

Blossom Care Solutions is a mission-driven social enterprise established to address the lack of access to sanitary pads and promote menstrual health. The Gugulethu site is the second site Concentrix + Webhelp have supported, following the successful launch of the Blossom factory in Sandton, Johannesburg in 2021.

With the assistance of stakeholders, the Blossom site in Alex has donated more than 300,000 sanitary pads to schools to date, ensuring no school time or sports are missed because of menstruation. A further 48,816 sanitary pads were donated to NGOs, private companies, and menstrual initiatives, extending the impactful work being done.

Shamiela Sarlie, Managing Director at Blossom Care Solutions says: "The financial inability to afford sanitary products, combined with a lack of knowledge about menstruation, constitutes period poverty. This issue impacts millions of young girls and women in South Africa daily. However, there are avenues to combat this social challenge while simultaneously contributing to job creation."

In partnership with Concentrix + Webhelp, Blossom inaugurated a new facility at the Safe-Hub in partnership with Adidas, in Gugulethu on 25 October 2023, taking active steps to tackle this issue. Safe-Hub and Adidas are actively working towards a more equitable world by enhancing young people's access to opportunities and services in structurally disadvantaged areas. Each hub offers a collaborative network of local partners and experts, providing users with support in education, health, recreation, employability, and entrepreneurship, making it an ideal location for a Blossom site.

Blossom will employ women from the community who were previously unemployed, all while providing menstrual education and sanitary products to girls in need. The business will also focus on manufacturing, selling, marketing, and distributing sanitary pads and other personal care products to local community-based retailers, to help build strong revenue streams that will support and sustain each business.

"Unemployment remains a critical issue in South Africa. As Concentrix + Webhelp continues to support initiatives that drive meaningful change and build sustainable futures, it was only natural for us to explore ways to further bolster Blossom's efforts," says Cathy Kalamaras, People Director of South Africa and Projects at Concentrix + Webhelp.

Kalamaras continues: "When Concentrix + Webhelp observes the number of young girls and women in our more disadvantaged communities who do not have regular access to sanitary pads, and when we consider additional ways to address the unemployment situation, the work of Blossom Care becomes even more crucial."

She explained that Blossom Care takes a women-centric approach to tackling period poverty in the heart of communities needing it most: “It is estimated that young girls in South Africa miss up to a third of their school year due to a lack of proper menstrual education and hygiene support, putting them at risk of joining the ranks of the unemployed.

“As a business, we feel it is our duty to ensure no woman is left behind or excluded because of something beyond her control. The work done by Blossom Care helps young women achieve their potential unhindered, while also creating valuable jobs in the process. These are sustainable solutions we support.”