By Semerian Sankori | Executive Director
Dear Friends,
Sanitary kits are essential for every girl and woman to help her manage her menstruation. Many girls living in rural areas do not have the privilege of getting sanitary kits every month. Rural Maasai girls miss up to 1/4 of the school year because of their menstrual periods. Lack of funds is a major attribute of accessing sanitary pads. The girls end up staying at home every month and falling behind on their schoolwork. We are addressing this education barrier by distributing sanitary pads to 600 girls in 10 schools in Kenyewa/Poka locations in Kajiado County.
Besides providing sanitary kits, we also conduct mentorship programs for the girls to understand menstrual hygiene and boost their self-confidence through sexual and reproductive health education.
The provision of sanitary kits has enabled the girls to attend school throughout the year and has reduced absenteeism in the primary school-going girls.
Sexual and reproductive health education is key to growing adolescents in rural areas as we find some of these topics are taboo, and girls cannot talk to their mothers about them, which makes girls shy. The sexual and reproductive health education and mentorship program have enabled the girls to understand their rights, their bodies, and how to manage menstruation, which has boosted their confidence. We include boys in these mentorship sessions to ensure they understand that menstruation is not a taboo topic but a natural process, and they should support the girls instead of shunning them. This has made the boys more understanding and supportive of the girls.
The girls have shown improvement in their school work as they are attending school throughout the year. This has enabled them to learn with confidence and helped them to express themselves even when they are experiencing menstruation.
Since sanitary kits are expensive, we have trained 40 women in sanitary sewing pads. This is an important skill for women and girls as they can be able to make their sanitary towels, even at home when they cannot buy them. This has boosted women's confidence in that they can provide sanitary pads for their daughters even when they may not have the money to buy them.
With Gratitude for your continued support!
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