This project in a remote part of Kenya tackles health and hygiene issues, such as promoting awareness of menstrual health. It supports the production of reusable sanitary napkins by embroiderers at a local refugee camp, making the usual, unhygienic alternatives redundant. This empowers girls, who are forced to miss school during menstruation due to a deep-rooted stigma. The project also promotes hygiene in the community through the construction of toilets and hand-washing stations.
In remote parts of Kenya, hygiene issues abound. One stems from a taboo regarding menstruation that has lead to a gap in understanding about menstrual health, including the safe disposal of napkins, which are limited to unsanitary materials, such as goatskin, and costly disposable pads. It also means girls are forced to stay away from school during their period, due to bullying fears. Other unhygienic habits, such as defecating outside, ups the risk of spreading infectious diseases like cholera
Programs are underway to raise hygiene awareness and break age-old taboos. They focus on issues such as safe napkin disposal, while at the same time advocating for equality in menstrual hygiene management. We have also introduced reusable sanitary napkins, which are made from medical grade, super-absorbent material by embroiderers in a nearby refugee camp, providing them with much-needed employment. Hygienic habits are also promoted through the construction of toilets and hand-washing stations.
The project will ensure better hygienic practices. Residents understand menstruation is natural, and certainly no reason for girls to miss school. Men who tend to see menstruation as a women-only issue become more open-minded and supportive, fostering a more equitable environment. Reusable sanitary napkins empower girls, reduce economic burden on families, and provide much-needed income to the refugees who make them. Workshops improve understanding on a variety of societal issues, such as abuse
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