Empower, Engage, Educate in Rural Kenya!

Last week we celebrated Women’s International Day and as we did so, we reflected on the work we are doing to break down barriers to school for girls in Wamunyu. One way we do this is through our Wings Poa Reusable Sanitary Pad program. Several years ago, the Head Teachers alerted us to the fact that girls were missing school during their monthly menstrual cycle and asked if we would help. Even though the Kenyan government had promised to send sanitary napkins, they often did not arrive in Wamunyu, and if they did, they were locked in the Head Teacher’s office, often a male.

Our staff and board came together, and thanks to Board Member Faith Doucette who was born and raised in Wamunyu and now living in the U.S., we developed a plan and a product. Researching other programs and designs, Faith and friends developed a product that consisted of a shield, liners and method for washing the pads. Women in Wamunyu and students in Wamunyu are now making the kits that we named Wings Poa. Since the program launched, we have distributed 315 kits to students at 9 schools. As we introduce the program, our staff has also provided education on menstrual health and hygiene and talked to the girls about empowerment and self-care. One of our summer interns created a video about the program that you can watch HERE.

We have also been thoughtful in selecting books for our libraries that include stories and biographies about strong girls and women including Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai and Malala Yousafzai. Our team has also worked with girls in our ACCESS and TSF programs about using their voice and breaking traditional gender roles as they prepare for future careers.

Up next? We are exploring girls coding programs, sexual health and reproduction workshops and girl empowerment programs. Your generous support helped provide funding for the Wings Poa program and allows us to explore more programming for our girls. Thank you for being a champion for our students.