Many girls in Ghana miss school because they do not have access to menstrual products yet this is preventable. This project aims to create menstrual hygiene awareness, provide menstrual cups to 1000 vulnerable school girls and hand washing facilities in schools. The outcome shall be increase of girls' education by improved school attendance and concentration in class during menstrual cycles and also create environmental awareness by changing behaviors through use of long-lasting menstrual cups
Over 20,000 Ghanaian girls miss school due to menstruation, stigma and shame attached to it. In 2017 and 18 we provided sanitary pads to 820 girls. This improved girls' school attendance and increased participation in class. However, within a year they used all the materials and despite need, they were unable to access more due to socio-economic circumstances; hence a return of lower school attendance. Moreover, sanitary pads are unsustainable and can pollute the environment, if not managed well
To keep girls in school, they need to have access to safe, affordable and sustainable menstrual products and hand washing facilities. We believe menstrual cups are a sustainable way of providing environmentally friendly solutions to menstrual management as they can be reused for up to 10 years. Providing hand washing facilities and menstrual hygiene awareness and training girls and boys on reproductive health can begin to destigmatise menstruation and create awareness for menstrual cups
In the long term, this project will improve 1000 girls' health, promote their education and thereby contribute to gender equality and good sanitation. Furthermore, it will prevent pollution and protect the environment and promote long-term cost savings for parents from low socio-economic backgrounds in the Volta Region, Ghana. In the short term, the project will help keep girls in school, enable them to concentrate and actively participate in class and prevent menstrual-related infections.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
