Empower Girls in Uganda with Menstrual Health

Back to school!  You have made it possible for so many girls to go back to school and stay there with dignity and confidence. Women too, have more opportunties for serving as leaders and building a business in their communities, thanks to you. It has been a busy summer for the Ugandan team of Days for Girls International. We have travelled all over the country, served some amazing people and organizations, and helped expand awareness about the state of menstrual hygiene management in Uganda. Thanks to everyone at Global Giving for your support in this journey! We have made a lot of progress in a short period of time and it is all thanks to our incredible network of supporters around the world.

We are getting great opportunities to share the training models your support has made possible and to expand our reach, working with a diverse group of communities, from South Sudanese refugees to rural farming communities to government officials.  We like to share the individual stories of the girls and women and this time there is so much going on that we wanted to share more of the big picture of what you are making possible.

3000 Women at the South Sudanese Refugee Camp, Adjumani, Uganda

In July, the DfGU team traveled to northern Uganda to conduct a distribution of menstrual hygiene kits for 3,000 South Sudanese refugees. About 2,000 of the kits were sent in from DfG chapters around the world, and the remaining kits were made right in our office in Kampala. In partnership with Uganda’s Ministry of Disaster Relief and the Church of Latter-Day Saints, we ventured to the camp to meet the women and begin the distribution process. Diva, our incredible sewing officer, lead a short training with the women on how to use the kit. Picture 3,000 women... that's a whole lot of restored dignity to those that had lost everything. 

After that, the distribution began! Each of the four DfGU staff members set up a station with an English-speaking South Sudanese counterpart to help translate. The women lined up at the different stations, while children gathered around to see what was taking place. For four hours in the hot sun we handed out the kits to girls and women. After collecting their kits, many of the women stuck around and sat in groups comparing and admiring their kits. It was an incredible experience for everyone involved and we are hoping to go back again soon and distribute in another section of the camp.

Leading Leaders – Meeting DRC Congo Chapter Coordinator Starla

Part of what you have been supporting is helping us refine our programs so that they could be replicated around the globe. We have recently had the great privilege of hosting and training with DRC Congo volunteer Chapter Coordinator, Starla. She is a dynamo and really took our time together seriously. She is laying the foundation for truly exemplary work in Congo and it was an honor to work with her. Your support made that possible.

 Musaale Community Center, Buwagogo, Uganda

Soon after our northern Uganda trip, we trekked off towards Eastern Uganda to work with a wonderful group of women at the Musaale Community Center. We were connected to these women through Days for Girls Australia, and asked to provide a training in kit construction, soap making, and business skills. We were hosted in the home of the Local Chairperson for Buwagogo and enjoyed meals made straight from their garden every day (and milk straight from their cows).

This training was slightly different than any training we have done before because many of the women have been out of school since they were children, and so we adjusted the pace of the lessons to meet their various learning styles and speeds. Overall, the training was incredible. The women showed so much interest and determination to learn the skills we were imparting. Most of them traveled long distances by foot to attend the lessons each day and often brought along their young children or babies. After they completed the soap training, they were excited to take home and sample and try it out for their laundry. We have kept in touch via phone and will be heading back before too long to conduct a follow-up visit.

Days for Girls Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

Our trip to Kenya was a little different than our previous travels… Instead of conducting any trainings or distributions, we were traveling there to meet with our wonderful Days for Girls Kenya colleagues and to learn about flannel production in Nairobi. We stopped in Nakuru to meet the amazing DfGK team that is Julie and Masese! Their team is preparing to ramp up operations in Kenya using the knowledge our efforts here in Uganda have developed. We enjoyed sharing many ideas and lessons from our experiences. We picked up more quality fabric resources while there too!

Menstrual Hygiene Management Conference, Kampala, Uganda

Although our entire summer has been full and productive as we shared trainings and local empowerment, one of the highlights for all of us was our attendance at the Menstrual Hygiene Management Conference on August 14^th and 15^th. This conference was hosted by SNV, the Dutch Development Organization, and The Network for Water and Sanitation (NETWAS). There were over 200 participants present, and they represented countries all over Africa, from Uganda to Kenya to Mozambique to Zimbabwe.

Through this conference, we learned about the amazing work being done to address MHM needs at the government level, in the private sector, and among other non-profits and non-governmental organizations. DfGU appreciated being featured there, presenting a paper and PowerPoint presentation on our mission, approach, and model. We met so many amazing people and have been busily scheduling follow-up meetings with each and every one of them. The results and network just keeps growing! 

Up Next…

This fall, we will continue our traveling and networking as we arrange distributions and offer more trainings for school groups, community groups, and even other trainers. All of this work is possible with your support and if you could see the gratitude we see every day, you would know just how vital your support has been. We’re happy to serve and couldn’t do so without your support. Thank you! We’ll report back soon.