Sanitary Pads Keep Ugandan Girls in School

The Kasiisi Project and the Jane Goodall Institute hosted a Girls Peer Education Workshop in September. The workshop was held at the Makerere University Biological Field Station, located in Kibale National Park in Fort Portal.

The main objectives of the workshop were:

• To introduce girls to peer education.
• To equip girls and teachers with knowledge on reproductive health.
• To equip girls with skills of how to deal with problems associated with the youth.
• To equip female teachers in schools with knowledge on how to relate with the youth.
• To train female teachers and girls groups on how deal with HIV/AIDS.

Because of your support, the Peer Education Workshop was extremely successful! There were over 30 girls from 7 primary schools who attended the workshop. 10 head women teachers from the schools also attended the workshop. The Peer Education Workshop focused on providing young girls and teachers with the skills they need to educate other school children about reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and the use of sanitary pads.

Uganda has the highest teen pregnancy rate in sub-saharan Africa with over 30% of Ugandan girls having their first baby by the time they are 18. HIV infection rates are 9 times higher in girls than boys the same age and Uganda has one of the highest maternal death rates in the world, 25% of which are from unsafe abortions. However, studies have shown that each additional year of education for girls reduces the risk of HIV infection by 7% and delays the first pregnancy by a year!

The Kasiisi Project, through your help, is assisting young girls to stay in school by providing peer education workshops, sanitary pads and extracurricular activities for girls!

Thank you for all you do for the Kasiisi Project and for the girls of Uganda!

Links:

• Kasiis Project new website!