THE PROJECT
OVER 5,000
GIRLS HAVE BEEN
POSITIVELY IMPACTED
BY THE HEART IMPACT PROJECT
THE PROJECT
The Heart Impact Project(previously named Heart Reach) is a non-profit organization that reaches out to the downtrodden girls of South Africa who are in need of feminine care and education. Many young women skip school due to their periods and our hope is to provide the feminine care that needed so they can receive a public school education. We strive to use your support and donations to improve and enhance the lives of many young women.
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The Heart Impact was initiated by Henry and Tony Bi in 2015 when they identified the erratic attendance of South African public school girls— missing almost a week of school every month due to their menstrual cycles— when providing public school lunches to them. They started by buying sanitation pad through their monthly allowances and realized the need to further expand their efforts. Thus in 2017, they were joined by Kate DiRuggiero, Daniel Rueda, and Benjamin Sray and won the STEAM competition offered at SBS. We established this project because of our passion for caring and helping those who are less fortunate. We strive to support and serve those who are impoverished, raise awareness about the impact of poverty, and spread the project to not only Johannesburg but the entirety of the country.
THE HARD TRUTH
30%
of girls do not attend school when they undergo menstrual cycles because they cannot afford sanitation pads
3.7 million
girls are unable to afford sanitary pads
Half of the population in SA
is living under the poverty line of R992 per month (which is equivalent to 66.07 dollars)
Schools we are helping and have helped
Listen to their stories
Mpagamamoqa
Mpagamamoqa wants to be a doctor who can treat HIV and serve her community. She lives in an informal settlement and does not have any electricity in her home. Due to the high expenses of sanitation pads, she often misses school and falls behind on work.
Owezohoza
Owezohoza wants to be a policewoman to minimize and reduce crime rates in South Africa. Her parents are unemployed and they struggle to even afford a proper meal. While on her menstrual cycles, she misses school purposefully due to fear of harassment and embarrassment.
Zugoba
Zugoba is a 7th grader and wants to become a teacher in the future to address the problem of lack of education in South Africa. Her family can barely cover the expenses of basic needs, and thus she has no access to pads in any means.