Empower Women and Girls through Menstrual Health

Earlier this year, BARKA Foundation's Menstrual Health project leaders began a new Menstrual Health sensitization program for more than 800 high school girls. The program includes the distribution of locally made reusable pads.The project will eventually reach 2000 girls.This will enable them to manage their periods more effectively and safely, and even decrease in the incidence of missed classes.

In addition, the girls are competing in a soccer tournament to raise awareness on the topic which remains a taboo subject in the context of Burkina Faso. This tournament gathers hundreds of students every weekend to watch the matches and listen to BARKA's project leaders talk about menstrual health and distribute sanitary pads.The Final of the tournament is today, March 8th, the International Day of Women.

We will be celebrating women around the world by preparing the girls in schools to become the women of tomorrow through our different activities aiming at sustainable empowerment.

 We could never have achieved so much so quickly without your support of this project. We can't thank you enough for your vision, your generous financial support and your empathy for the situation girls and women face every day in Burkina Faso. On behalf of all the beneficiaries of this project, thank you, Barka.Together we can end #PeriodPoverty in Burkina Faso. Power to Women!

We have two updates for you dear donors.

First, after the menstrual cup pilot project we completed last year, Fondation BARKA conducted four Focus groups with the pilot project participants to better understand how cups were being used over the long term. It gave us really relevant data to help develop the next phase of the project expansion. We've also brought in Innovation for Poverty Action (IPA), a large and reputable NGO, to help design the research aspect of the forthcoming project.

Secondly, Fondation BARKA is starting a new Menstrual Health Program in Fada High Schools in January. Our 4 female project leaders will raise awareness on the taboo subject in order to educate girls in schools. We will also distribute locally made reusable sanitary pads to more than a thousand girls.

Please consider making a donation today to support these important endeavors. Barka!