How Anelisiwe's Discovery Sparked a Movement to End Period Poverty

XJ Mayana, the former principal of Kuyasa Combined School, has always been a big supporter of Anelisiwe Valuvalu’s (right) work as a Leafline ambassador. Photo: Supplied - SPAR EC

A high school field trip introduced Anelisiwe Valuvalu to an innovative and locally produced solution to address the severe issue of period poverty in her community, leading to a ripple effect of empowerment and hope for young women.

Eastern Cape, South Africa (26 August 2025) – Anelisiwe Valuvalu was in Grade 11 at Kuyasa Combined School when a field trip back in 2022 offered new hope to the girls of her community.

During a presentation, she and her fellow Interact Club members learnt of reusable sanitary towels being made from the fibres of pineapple leaves in the nearby Eastern Cape town of Bathurst.

Intrigued by this discovery, Anelisiwe wondered if these locally made sanitary towels could be the solution to the long-standing problem of township girls not having access to feminine hygiene products.

She wasted no time in finding out.

After the presentation, she approached Candy Androliakos, the brainchild behind the Leafline product. Anelisiwe explained that the product could be life-changing for the girls in Nemato Location, where she lived, and beyond.

Anelisiwe, who is now pursuing a degree in foundational-phase education at Fort Hare, recalls the businesswoman handing her samples to distribute among her peers.

“I immediately knew it was an incredible product. I thought, ‘This needs to be known because it’s a game-changer’.

“You can’t always afford normal sanitary towels, so to be able to reuse them makes such a difference,” shared Anelisiwe, who grew up in a household where both parents were unemployed.

She distributed them to her peers and, inspired by the positive impact, became a passionate advocate for the cause.

The youngster, who herself suffered the consequences of her period arriving without warning during the June exams of that year, knows all too well about the difficulties faced by female learners.

“Our uniform was powder-blue, so the stains were very visible. We also didn’t have sanitary towels at our school,” she explained.

At first, she was confused when her classmate suddenly wrapped his jersey around her waist, but soon realised what was happening and rushed home for a change of clothes.

Witnessing the product’s value in her community inspired the 19-year-old to continue spreading the word.

“When you find something helpful to you, and realise you are not the only one in this situation, you have to reach out to others.”

“I am not going to stop. This experience has helped me grow. It’s about helping others, not just looking after myself.”

Androliakos, credited as the first person to use the absorbent pineapple leaf fibres for the manufacturing of soft, breathable, durable and washable fabric, said she will never forget the learner running after her and insisting that her product be promoted in the township.

“Since then, she has taken it upon herself to get involved with our projects. She’s really good at what she does and passionate about the cause.”

About seven million South African women are impacted, and one in three learners misses up to five days of school every month due to their inability to purchase menstrual products.

Roseanne Shadrach, Ad Manager at SPAR Eastern Cape, said the retailer supported the likes of Androliakos as it was heavily invested in the battle against period poverty.

Through its Petals campaign, 14 million packs of feminine hygiene products have been donated to NGOs since 2019.