Through funding secured from the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW), Youth With A Focus Teso (YWAFT) was able to procure and distribute 250 re-useable sanitary pads and 500 underwear to the identified girls from extremely poor families which enabled vulnerable adolescent girls to access and utilize hygienic pads in schools during menstrual periods.
This support remains highly valued by the beneficiaries (from Agirigiroi, Angai, Akaikai, Dakabela, and Tukum villages), the school’s management especially the senior women teachers and head teachers of the benefiting schools. This support accelerated a remarkable reduction of absenteeism of girls from schools during their menstrual periods.
This project also enabled YWAFT to enhance the skills and knowledge of 600 girls through training in menstrual sanitation and hygiene management (MSHM), and sexual and reproductive health in the five benefiting villages/schools. In addition, this project enhanced the capacity of 600 girls on how to hand-make reusable sanitary pads.
YWAFT further procured start-up fabric materials for making pads and underwear during the training and also conducted 5 training sessions in the five benefiting schools. To date, the trained girls are able to make hand-made reusable sanitary pads themselves which makes the project practically sustainable.
Through the support of this project, 5 role-model girls’ health clubs and movements have been reactivated to provide peer-to-peer counselling and reproductive health information in 5 selected schools. They have been supported with IEC materials and are also equipped with skills and knowledge with respect to menstrual sanitation and hygiene management (MSHM), and sexual and reproductive health.
Through this initiative we were able to support and change the lives of many girls. To learn more about this action contact via email: emmanuel.omiat312@gmail.com
