The Daily Herald – Genevieve de Weever latest beneficiary of ‘Teen Times’ Period Poverty initiative

Principals of Marie Genevieve de Weever School Stuart Johnson (center) and Renata Richardson of Prime Distributors (immediate left of Johnson) were present for the Teen Times presentation on Saturday, March 4th.

~ Prime Distributors renews its commitment ~

HOPE ESTATE – The Marie Genevieve de Weever School was the latest beneficiary Teen Times’ Period poverty project and the first public elementary school to express a need for the initiative.

Teenage Times is supported by Prime Distributors in its ongoing project, which they hope will one day result in government and/or school boards making sanitary items available in schools free of charge, according to a Sunday press release.

In addition to the products Teenage Times also provides schools with small pantries where the products can be stored. Teenage Times and Prime are on track to supply another public elementary school, the Oranje School, and one additional secondary school this school year.

According to the press release, period poverty is defined as insufficient access to menstrual hygiene supplies and education, including but not limited to sanitary items. “It is well known that meeting basic needs – food, water, shelter – is the necessary basis for health and well-being. Menstrual hygiene is also considered a basic need.”

Last Saturday, the group presented boxes of feminine hygiene products to the Headmaster of Marie Genevieve de Weever School, Stuart Johnson, who thanked him for this initiative. “I’m proud of this project because several girls in our school have recognized this need,” Johnson said, adding as a former Teenage Times As a member himself, it was great to see the Group’s legacy of important community service continue.

Also present was Prime Distributors’ Renata Richardson, who has been on board the initiative since planning began in 2020. She said it is good to see that the government, parents and students have recognized the importance of an issue such as poverty in old age Teen Times’ Initiative. She said that as sad as it is to see students suffering from period poverty, Prime Distributors will proudly do their part to always support the initiative.

Coordinator of Teenage Times Rochelayne Rommy-Richardson explained that the ultimate goal is for government and school boards not to dismiss the problem, especially when they don’t really know what’s happening on the ground. “Make programs and discuss how to address the problem. When we started this project, our target was secondary schools. Today we have elementary schools that are turning to us because the situation is so serious for a certain group of students,” she said.

“It is very sad to hear what students have to use as alternatives because they cannot afford feminine hygiene products. We hear and see the heartbreaking stories and commit to doing as much as we can for as long as we can. Prime Distributors and its brands have been a great partner in this initiative and a prime example of a great corporate citizen,” she added.

Teenage Times tabled a parliamentary proposal in September 2021, which was followed up by MPs Angelique Romou and Sarah Wescot-Williams, the latter tabled a proposal for Parliament’s Education and Youth Committee to adopt the position that the Government should swiftly use the Public Health Ordinance and issues a decree with general measures to combat poverty in old age in the country.

Teenage Times said it firmly believes period poverty prevents particularly low-income menstruators from bleeding gracefully. The group said the reason this public health crisis has yet to be addressed is largely due to stigma.

Stigma associates menstruation with uncleanliness and disgust rather than acknowledging it as biologically healthy and normal. The shame associated with menstruation prevents people from talking about it, which in turn prevents dialogue about access to products and even the ingredients in pads and tampons.