Support Ending Period Poverty

Summary

Menstrual health remains a critical but often underfunded barrier to girls’ education in Mandera County and across Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) in the North. In these regions, persistent socio-economic vulnerabilities, limited access to essential health commodities, and entrenched stigma around menstruation continue to restrict girls’ ability to attend and fully participate in school. For many adolescent girls, the lack of affordable and appropriate menstrual materials forces repeated absenteeism, negatively affecting their academic progression, confidence, and overall well-being.

Beyond access to sanitary products, menstrual health management (MHM) challenges in ASAL contexts are compounded by gaps in accurate information, inadequate sanitation facilities, and cultural taboos that discourage open discussion. This combination not only undermines girls’ dignity but also limits their ability to manage menstruation safely and with confidence.

Through this initiative, NAPAD aims to support 4,000 vulnerable school-going girls in Mandera County with dignity kits and age-appropriate menstrual health education. The approach integrates both product distribution and awareness-raising to ensure that girls are not only equipped with essential supplies, but also empowered with knowledge to manage their menstrual health safely, reduce stigma, and stay consistently engaged in their education.

However, fundraising progress has been slower than anticipated, highlighting the need for diversified and community-driven resource mobilization strategies. To address this gap, NAPAD is scaling up innovative fundraising approaches, including a public fitness event titled Workout to Wipe Out Period Poverty scheduled for 23rd May 2026, ahead of World Menstrual Hygiene Day. This initiative seeks not only to mobilize resources but also to raise awareness, engage new supporters, and build a broader movement around menstrual dignity for girls in underserved ASAL communities.

With strengthened partnerships and increased donor support, this initiative has the potential to significantly reduce school absenteeism linked to menstruation, restore dignity, and create a more enabling environment for girls to thrive academically and socially.

Progress to Date

To date, the target beneficiary schools and girls have been identified across selected schools. NAPAD continues to strengthen collaboration with key local education stakeholders, including school leadership and community structures, to ensure effective targeting, coordination, and community acceptance of menstrual health interventions.

In parallel, the organization has maintained ongoing dissemination of campaign messaging through social media platforms and strategic partner engagements, helping to raise awareness on menstrual health management (MHM) challenges and the realities of period poverty in ASAL contexts. These communication efforts have played an important role in building visibility for the cause.

Initial funds raised enabled the procurement and distribution of dignity kits to a limited number of girls, providing immediate relief and supporting continued school attendance for some beneficiaries. However, this remains a small fraction of the overall need, as a significant number of vulnerable school-going girls are still without adequate menstrual supplies and supportive WASH facilities.

Strategic Response: Fundraising Event

To address the existing funding gap, NAPAD is organizing a high-visibility, community-driven fundraising initiative titled Workout to Wipe Out Period Poverty scheduled for 23rd May 2026, ahead of World Menstrual Hygiene Day. The outdoor fitness event will be led by a certified fitness trainer and is designed to bring together community members, young people, influencers, private sector actors, and development partners in a shared effort to advance menstrual health and dignity for girls in Mandera County.

The event serves a dual purpose of mobilizing critical resources for the procurement and distribution of dignity kits, and amplifying awareness on menstrual health management (MHM) as a key enabler of girls’ education, dignity, and school retention. It also seeks to broaden the engagement base by attracting new donors and supporters, while promoting a sustained movement that positions menstrual health as a priority development and education issue.

Through this initiative, NAPAD aims to secure funds that will directly contribute to reaching 4,000 vulnerable school-going girls with dignity kits and menstrual health education. In addition, the campaign is expected to strengthen advocacy efforts by challenging stigma, encouraging open dialogue on menstruation, and promoting community ownership of solutions to period poverty.

NAPAD is actively seeking support in the form of financial contributions, sponsorships for the fundraising event, in-kind donations such as sanitary products and event logistics support, as well as strategic partnerships to scale both outreach and long-term impact.

Additionally, NAPAD is fully committed to transparency and accountability throughout implementation. This will include proper tracking and documentation of all funds raised and utilized, systematic recording of kit distributions, collection of beneficiary feedback to inform continuous improvement, and timely reporting to donors and partners on outcomes, reach, and impact achieved.

Lessons learnt this far:

1. Sustained visibility is a critical factor in the success of such initiatives, as projects require continuous promotion beyond their initial launch in order to maintain momentum and demonstrate measurable progress over time. Without ongoing communication and engagement, even well-designed interventions risk losing public attention and donor interest.
2. In addition, we have seen that diversified fundraising approaches are essential for accelerating progress. Relying on a limited number of funding channels can slow implementation and constrain reach, whereas expanding engagement across multiple donor groups, sponsorship opportunities, and community contributions helps to strengthen financial sustainability and reduce dependency risks.
3. Finally, timing plays an important role in amplifying impact. Aligning campaigns and fundraising efforts with global and regional observance moments, such as Menstrual Hygiene Day, significantly enhances visibility, relevance, and traction. These moments provide a strategic platform to elevate conversations, attract broader audiences, and strengthen advocacy around menstrual health and period poverty.

Conclusion

While progress in resource mobilization has been slower than anticipated, the need remains urgent, persistent, and clearly evident across the target communities. Girls in the ASAL regions of northern Kenya continue to face significant barriers to education linked to limited access to menstrual hygiene products, reinforcing the importance of timely and sustained interventions.

The upcoming Workout to Wipe Out Period Poverty event presents a strategic and timely opportunity to accelerate fundraising efforts, deepen community engagement, and expand partnerships around menstrual health. Beyond its role as a fundraising platform, the event is intended to catalyze collective action and strengthen public awareness on period poverty as a critical education and dignity issue affecting adolescent girls.

With increased donor support and strengthened collaboration, NAPAD is confident in its ability to reach the targeted 4,000 vulnerable school-going girls with dignity kits and menstrual health education. This support will directly contribute to reducing school absenteeism linked to lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, while also restoring dignity, confidence, and long-term educational opportunities for girls in underserved communities.

Project Status Overview
During this reporting period, no direct field activities were implemented; however, the project team made significant progress in strengthening NAPAD’s crowdfunding efforts. Key activities included enhancing accountability by integrating all donor contributions into NAPAD’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, ensuring complete transparency and traceability of funds. Simultaneously, improved documentation processes were established to systematically capture project performance data, generating evidence for future reporting and stakeholder engagement. Meanwhile, the communications team continued promoting the project on digital and social media platforms, raising awareness and encouraging donations to support menstrual health for girls in Mandera.

Communities in Mandera continue to experience persistent economic hardship, undermining families’ ability to purchase essential menstrual hygiene products. This is compounded by deep rooted cultural stigma and misinformation surrounding menstruation that further discourages open discussion and reinforces barriers to girls’ sustained school attendance. Lack of access to affordable sanitary products and limited menstrual health education are well documented contributors to increased school absenteeism, with national analyses indicating that a significant proportion of girls and women in Kenya cannot afford adequate menstrual hygiene products and that menstrual stigma remains a pervasive social challenge.

Moreover, climate-related shocks, which disproportionately impact communities in Mandera, further exacerbate the vulnerabilities faced by adolescent girls, highlighting the urgent need for menstrual health support. NAPAD is systematically incorporating these socio-economic and cultural insights into targeted community engagement and refined messaging strategies to strengthen fundraising efforts and ensure that future project communications effectively share information on the multifaceted drivers and impact of period poverty.

Funding Gap
To date, the project has mobilized $25 in donor contributions through the GlobalGiving platform toward the overall $56,000 goal. This leaves a substantial funding gap that needs to be addressed.

Message to Donors and Call to Action
Your ongoing support remains critical to ending period poverty for vulnerable girls in Mandera County. Contributions to this initiative will be directly allocated toward providing menstrual hygiene kit supplies to 3,000 school going girls who currently lack reliable access to these essential products. The dignity kits will include quality sanitary pads, soap, underwear, and other hygiene items necessary for safe and hygienic menstrual management.

Access to menstrual products is not only a basic health and hygiene requirement; it is a fundamental enabler of consistent school attendance, improved educational outcomes, and gender equity. By addressing these immediate needs, your support empowers resilient girls to remain in school, participate fully in learning environments, and pursue their academic and life aspirations with dignity.

Together, we can ensure that menstruation is not a barrier to education, health, or opportunity but rather an aspect of life that girls manage safely, confidently, and without shame.