EMPOWERING 800 SCHOOL GIRLS HYGIENE IN LILONGWE

Hello, Mulibwanji?

The project of promoting education amongst girls by providing them with different life skills through its impactful activities is going on well.

Again, during this quarter go for girls through its project officer visited schools where we have implemented our programmes as well as identifying new schools to be incorporated in the program in order to reach as many girls as possible with our impactful programs.

Some of the activities that took place during this quarter

1. Girls sewing simple bags at Kaps Primary school

This is a second term into 2024-2025 academic year. Leaners in primary section will be writing final exams in May. We had a chance to teach young girls at Kaps primary school how to make simple bags as well as interacted with them through the girl talk program. Go for girls aims at empowering young girls with different skills whilst they are in school, that when they are on a long break or complete their secondary education, they may be able to utilise the skills acquired and be empowered economically.

KAPS model primary school students sewing bags

1. Donation of reusable sanitary pads- Chiseka CDSS

Menstrual poverty is everywhere, in the urban as well as in the rural areas.

Girls are absent from school and others do drop out completely because of lack of hygienic sanitary materials.

After reports as such, Go for girls stepped in by sewing about 250+ reusable sanitary pads to assist school girls at Chiseka community day secondary school. This initiative was very appreciated and welcomed by the school head teacher and mainly the beneficiaries.

This is one of the new schools that we have identified and have also implemented our programmes.

At chiseka secondary school

     3 . Training session at Chipasula Secondary school

This school has many students and some do attend morning classes and others afternoon classes. We were requested to visit this school twice as some of the girls who are in their final class of Form four (4) and wanted to be trained on sanitary pad making before they leave.

It is one of the schools that does well when it comes to academic results.

We have a good time interacting with these girls during our session.

At Chipasula secondary school

4. Immediate Assistance

We have maintained the program of assisting girls from Kaps secondary with sanitary pads so that they stay in school whenever they need immediate assistance of sanitary materials. Girls do continue attending class and they do not go home and miss classes as earlier practised, whenever they start their cycle once at school. This mechanism has also proved to be a contributing factor to low absenteeism rate amongst girls.

We would have loved to be providing girls with immediate assistance from all the schools we work with but this programme can only be possible if enough funds are available.

Achievements

• Sewing skills acquired
• Girls become career focused
• Introduction of sewing clubs
• Boosted confidence in girls( opening up and asking of general questions)
• Girls interaction
• Menstrual hygiene practised

Challenges

• Lack of funds: this still stands as our main challenge as we only visit few schools and all these are in the central region, whilst our vision is to extend to other districts and reach as many girls as possible.
• Sewing clubs that have been introduced requires sewing machines so that the program may run effectively and efficiently. Materials to be available at all these schools for the progress of the clubs
• Visiting the schools regularly to monitor the progress of the project becomes a challenge due to lack of funds for transportation.
• There are no washrooms in all the schools we work with, it is a main challenge to these girls

Planned activities

• Reusable pads making and simple bags
• Conduct girl talk sessions in all schools we work with

Conclusion

As a project officer, I would personally like to thank all who are taking part in sustaining this project. It is one of the impactful projects in our organisation. We always leave a mark everywhere we go, these girls are so much interested in what we do as well as the approach.

From the skills of making on reusable sanitary materials to the talks on carrier development, guidance, counselling and empowerment talks, that these girls say from time to time they were lacking, it really does indicate the positive measure of impact this programmes have on a girl child.

I am a proud project officer who can testify that we are delivering the best for these girls for the development of their livelihoods as well as for the betterment of our country.

It is your support that is making a difference.

Thank you

• GLOBAL_APRIL_2025...1.docx (DOCX)