By Muskan Singh | Reporting Team
Grateful, Empowered, United – Love from Team Girls at RKF!
Together with you, we’re building powerful change. The Girls’ Empowerment Workshops are just one chapter in the story you're helping us write. Our last report highlighted how your generosity supported 141 girls and mothers from 4 communities to break free from the barriers of shame and silence. For more details, read here: Her Day, Her Voice, Her Future
In this report, we share with you our celebrations and impact from this year’s Menstrual Health & Hygiene Day.
Where Confidence Begins: Building A World Beyond Period Shame
We proudly joined the global celebration of Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025 this May and June, embracing this year’s powerful call: “A Period-Friendly World.” At RKF, this meant not only access to products but safe spaces, open dialogue, and dignity for every girl.
We hosted Girls’ Empowerment workshops across five partner schools: Alendu, Korwana, Odienya, Nduru, and Nyamware Primary. These vibrant sessions brought together students and their mothers or female guardians, creating moments of deep learning, shared laughter, and emotional connection.
The mission was simple yet powerful: to build a world where periods are not a source of shame or silence, but a moment of growth, understanding, and pride. We envisioned a space where girls could confidently learn about their bodies, mothers and daughters could grow closer, and where outdated taboos are replaced by empowering conversations.
Each workshop was thoughtfully structured. Sessions were held in three dedicated rooms, each led by a trained speaker and supported by a facilitator, ensuring a seamless flow from registration to the distribution of sanitary kits and meal packs for every participant.
In every two-hour session, a circle was formed where each girl sat beside a mother or guardian, journeying through topics like menstrual hygiene, vaginal health, personal safety, and consent. These conversations were framed as affirming, respectful, and shame-free, reclaiming the language and space lost to generations of silence.
One moment that stood out was during a conversation on hydration and health. A few girls shared that they avoid drinking water unless they've eaten, an eye-opening insight that allowed facilitators to link hydration to menstrual and reproductive health in a deeply personal way.
Another profound moment came during an activity called ‘Promises and Affirmations.’ Girls closed their eyes and imagined sitting with their mothers, making heartfelt promises to themselves. An emotional rose exchange followed this—girls telling their mothers, “You are beautiful,” and mothers replying, “My daughter, you are beautiful.” These simple words carried the weight of years of unspoken love and support, strengthening mother-daughter bonds heart-warmingly.
We also held open discussions about setting boundaries, understanding consent, and staying safe from coercive situations, reminding each girl of her right to bodily autonomy. Just as importantly, we reignited their dreams, encouraging them to stay in school, to believe that their future is bigger than any challenge they face
From the Circle: Reflections & Realisations
Rose, a mother, shared how the session opened her eyes to new ways of supporting her daughter, not just physically, but emotionally. For years, she admitted, conversations around menstruation had been filled with discomfort or silence. But during the workshop, something shifted.
“Sometimes, the most powerful thing a mother can do is sit beside her daughter, hold her fears, and say—I am here for you.”
For Rose, this was more than a workshop; it was a turning point. She left not only with practical knowledge on managing cramps and pad hygiene but also with a renewed sense of closeness with her daughter. “Now I know how to show up not just withpads but with presence,” she added.
Debraid, a Grade 9 student, had always felt unsure about how to talk to her mother about growing up. Topics like periods, boundaries, and attention from boys felt awkward or even off-limits. But she found the courage to open up and listen in this safe space.
“Opening up to my mum shouldn’t feel like a problem anymore because now I know I’m allowed to let her in.”
The workshop helped her understand self-worth and personal safety in a way that made her feel powerful, not afraid. The conversations helped her view her body not as something to hide, but to respect and care for. “I learned that setting boundaries doesn’t mean I’m being rude, it means I respect myself.”
Jane, another mother, spoke with emotion about the everyday financial strain of managing her daughter’s periods. She recalled moments of panic, times when her daughter started menstruating unexpectedly, and they didn’t have pads at home.
“We may not have much, but when we fight for our daughters’ dignity, we give them everything.”
Jane said the reusable sanitary kit brought not just relief but peace of mind. “It means my daughter can go to school confidently every month. It means I don’t have to choose between buying pads or buying food.” She ended with a heartfelt message of thanks to everyone who made the initiative possible and a quiet wish: that no mother should ever feel helpless when her daughter needs her most.
The Impact: Beyond Hygiene, Towards Dignity
While their words touched our hearts, the numbers speak volumes, too. Each girl received a reusable sanitary pad kit with five pads lasting 12–18 months, two pairs of panties, soap, tissue, and a Girl Talk booklet, all packed neatly in a bucket. Each mother also received 1kg of unga (flour) and a packet of majani (tea leaves) as a token of care.
These aren’t just kits, they are tools for dignity, helping families avoid monthly financial strain, giving girls the freedom to attend school, and most importantly, creating a world where menstruation is no longer a barrier.
Because of your generous support, 194 girls and 177 mothers across five communities experienced this transformative change.
We are actively building a future where no girl feels ashamed of her period, every mother feels equipped to support her daughter, and the cycle of silence is broken for good. From reusable pads to real conversations, this celebration sparked more than hygiene; it ignited confidence, connection, and lasting change.
Thank you for helping us move closer to a world where periods are met with pride, not shame. Together, we’re not just imagining a Period-Friendly World; we’re building it.
Photography Credits: Flavian Marie & Mansi Kotak
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
