Menstrual Dignity for Refugee Women

While Uganda is one of the friendliest locations to refugees from around the region, and many stakeholders have come together provide basic necessities like access to land, cooking & housing supplies, and basic provisions, the challenges facing refugee populations are immense. I remember my first visit to the Adjumani Refugee Settlement in northern Uganda in 2014. As we drove along the dusty road, I barely registered that we had entered the settlement. The rounded thatched huts blended into the local community almost seamlessly, dotted along the horizon. The long, narrow roads were periodically interrupted by protruding rocks and trickling streams. As we navigated to our training location within the settlement, I saw our participants gathering. With colorful cloths tied around their shoulders, the women and girls who joined us made a bright and beautiful crowd. For many of them, the clothes they wore were the only ones they owned as they had left home in a time of crisis, and with no time to pack or prepare for the journey ahead, and little opportunity since to buy more. 

During that first visit, the women and staff shared more about the structure of the settlement. Refugees were given plots of land and basic tools for planting. Schools and health centers were established throughout the settlement, and initial provisions were made available. However, in many ways, these families and unaccompanied children have been expected to navigate much of this new journey on their own - as is the case with refugee populations around the world. It is in this vein that Days for Girls made the commitment to ease their journey by providing access to menstrual health products and women's health education. We can't solve every problem, but this is one that we can tackle!

With a wonderful alignment to Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28th, and World Refugee Day on June 20th, our East African team is on track to deliver more than 1,000 DfG Kits to refugees in northern Uganda this June. The production team is in full swing sewing each DfG Kit, and our trainers are fully engaged with partners to ensure that the women's health sessions are delivered with care and attention. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue our on-going refugee support programs, and see many more girls and women reached throughout the year. Thank you for all that you do to make this possible!

2018 was a big year in Days for Girls' efforts to support menstrual health solutions in refugee settlements in East Africa. With more than 13,000 DfG Kits distributed to refugee women and girls, and a great deal of behind the scenes work to make it all possible, there is now a high bar to pass in 2019. As we move forward however, we are doing so with learning and evaluation at the top of our minds. In 2019, we will partner with other stakeholders in northern Uganda to participate in an in-depth study of the impact that menstrual health solutions have for refugee girls and women.

The continuous process of asking, listening, and learning is a critical component of building and growing any program, as the voices and experiences of the girls and women themselves must inform every decision that is made. By partnering with other experts in the fields of water, sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health, we are excited to dive even deeper into the what, why, and how of supporting refugee girls and women in their communities.

As these evaluations take place, the DfG team will continue with education and distribution efforts to reach more girls & women. Production is ramping up in the Kampala Office, and among Enterprises based in or near refugee communities. Additionally, greater systems support is being built to allow for real-time data collection of distributions, better quality assurance support measures, and in person follow up to our Enterprise leaders.

Thank you for going on this journey with us! We can’t wait to see all that can be accomplished in 2019, together.