Tag: Health

Taxes On Female Sanitary Pads

There was a growth in complaint about the pricing of the pads, some range from Tsh 2500 to Tsh 3000. A member of parliament, MP Peneza brought these grievances to the parliament and stated in her speech “…we met with distributors and traders of sanitary pads in the country and these traders, with illustrations, informed us that they had reduced prices

The biggest news to hit Tanzania is the issues on taxes fixed on Sanitary pads. The taxes were re-introduced during the announcement of the 2019/2020 years budget. 

The Finance minister Philip Mpango said removing the tax was not productive at all, it allowed traders to raise the rate of pads and increase their profit.

There was a growth in complaint about the pricing of the pads, some range from Tsh 2500 to Tsh 3000. A member of parliament, MP Peneza brought these grievances to the parliament and stated in her speech “…we met with distributors and traders of sanitary pads in the country and these traders, with illustrations, informed us that they had reduced prices. The problem was on the retail end, that is where the pricing has not been reduced”

Looking at how the government implemented on matters concerning plastic bags and made sure that everyone stopped using them, how can they fail to make sure that the retailers stuck to the low pricing?

This has angered many people in the society, mainly women and girls.  Taxing Sanitary pads is a great injustice to women since it’s a biological phenomenon and not a luxurious thing. The women and girls who live in rural areas have been hit hard with this news due to the fact that they cannot afford sanitary pads.

Many girls in the village do not own sanitary pads due to the pricing and also unavailability of them in shops. This leads to them missing out on school on days that they have their menstrual cycle. According to surveys done, most girls in rural areas use inappropriate materials such as rags, raw cotton among other things to substitute sanitary pads.

The government should give out sanitary pads free of charge in schools in order to help the girls not miss out on classes. Kenya is a perfect good example where pads are given out free of charge in schools. In addition the prices should be affordable to every woman who earns a low income wage. Periods are not luxuries.

Self Care: A Basic Need

This is happening to our youth today and they end up being so stressful and unhealthy. One should stop and ask themselves, is it worth it? Would you be happy, stress free and healthy if you achieve these goals now rather than later? With this I say self-care is important for everyone. 

Another year is upon us and many goals are already set to focus on what to do to move forward.

Most people especially those in their mid and late twenties are working to the bone to focus on starting a family, having a new job and other future plans in this New Year. Although these are important things to think of, they take up much the time for one to think about themselves for a while. This is happening to our youth today and they end up being so stressful and unhealthy. One should stop and ask themselves, is it worth it? Would you be happy, stress free and healthy if you achieve these goals now rather than later? With this I say self-care is important for everyone. 

Self-care means taking care of our mental, physical and emotional health. From doing exercises, eating healthy, meditating, taking a vacation one can fulfil caring for themselves without having other matters in mind. This does not mean neglecting other responsibilities just to feel good with yourself. It just means taking a breather from all the hard work and concentrating on ourselves for better health. 

In order to achieve this, one should make a list that has all the things that make them happy and stress free. Since everyone has different taste on what to do for their self-care, am going to mention a basic check list that can be followed by anyone. 

  • Eat healthy meals. Caring for your health is the most important part of self-care and so the consuming of junk foods and unhealthy snacks should reduce. Vegetables, vitamins and proteins are more important to keep the body healthy. By eating healthy one can achieve a lot. 
  • Exercising. Doing any type of exercises that you are comfortable with helps in not only physical health but also emotional health. Scientists say it increases serotonin levels which lead to improved mood and energy. You can choose to just walk for 30 minutes every day and it would be exercise.
  • Get enough sleep. Many neglect this while it’s important. It’s a fact that adults need 7-8 hours of sleep. Follow this and your body will be very relaxed.
  • Do something you enjoy once a month. This will keep you happy to get time for your own or with friends doing something pleasurable. You can go watch a movie, read a book, have lunch alone or with your friends, go to a party and many other activities. This helps you relax and reduce stress.
  • Travel or have a road trip. This helps you escape your everyday life and lets you go out and explore the world. 

Making self-care a priority in your life is the most important thing that you can do for yourself. It changes the perspective of life. Doing all these things will make you see life in a new way where you are able to take care of yourself and this makes it possible for you to take care of everything and everyone around you. This month, consider ways that you can make self-care part of your schedule. Remember, you deserve this as much as the next person.

Aloe Vera:For Hair Treatment

In this quarantine period, most of us are really missing the saloon. Our hair needs some tlc! Well here’s a solution, ALOE VERA.

Aloe Vera is a plant that has great benefits in the human body. It contains proteolytic enzymes which repairs dead skin cells on the scalp. It acts as a great conditioner leaving your hair all smooth and shiny. Most importantly, it promotes hair growth, prevents itching on the scalp and reduces dandruff.

This article will focus on one way to use it, Aloe Vera as essential hair oil. All you need is to follow these easy steps below and you can take care of your hair in the comfort of your home.

  1. Take an Aloe Vera leaf (make sure it’s washed), slice out the sharp edges then cut it in half to reveal the gel.
  2. Cut it into thin slices then put the slices in a glass bowl/cup where you will add a desired amount of olive oil.
  3. Switch on your stove and place a pan with water. ( 1-2 cups of water)
  4. Grab the glass bowl/cup and put it on the pan on the stove. This will allow the mixture to heat up indirectly. As the water in the pan boils, the heat allows the release of nutrients from the Aloe Vera to the olive oil.
  5. When the mixture in the bowl turns brown, switch off your stove.
  6. Take down the glass bowl/cup and add up a desired amount of castor oil to the mixture. Castor oil thickens the hair.
  7. Transfer the entire mixture into a dropper to enable easy application on your hair.

This treatment can be used on all types of hair and changes can be seen as early as a month. Taking care of your hair is quite essential so show your hair some love by doing this treatment, it will definitely love you back.