SANITARY TOWELS FOR GIRLS IN RURAL SCHOOLS

Joy For Children Uganda, through Sanitary Towels For Girls in Rural Schools project aims at enabling all girls keep in school until the primary cycle. Menstrual hygiene has for long been a challenge in the rural schools of Kabarole. 

Last week, with the help of teacher coordinators of Kibyo and Mahyoro Primary Schools, we randomly selected 47 of the girls we have been working with for the past two years. We found out that 21 of the girls had proceeded to secondary school, 14 girls were still in primary school and 12 girls had dropped out of school because of menstrual hygiene related challenges.

Elizabeth, Senior Two class at Kahinju, one of the government-aided secondary school is one of the lucky girls that have benefitted from our project. when the school started supporting us with sanitary pads, I got determined to focus on my studies until completion. I still apply the skills of making reusable sanitary pads,  I make my own pads. Instead of buying an expensive packet of sanitary pads, my parents buy me materials that I use to make more reusable ones. We have saved more money and most important, menstrual periods are no longer a threat to my studies, she happily revealed.

Ronnet, a Senior Four student at Bukuuku Community Secondary School had a different story. The day I started receiving assistance in form of sanitary pads marked my change in behaviour. I remeber I received sanitary pads for only one year when I was in Primary Seven. Sometimes, we could make some for ourselves using the materials the teacher coordinator could offer us. The assistance was timely because a boda boda (commercial motorcycle) boy in our village was asking for me to be his sexual partner in exchange for sanitary pads and other needs. When I acquired the skill of making reusable sanitary pads by myself, I did not any need of giving in to his proposal. It is the reason I have made it this far, she confided in us.

We call up on you, our beloved donor, to give us more financial support so that we support more girls with sanitary pads as a way of increasing their chances to keep in school.