Menstrual Health Project

Our sanitary pad project started after we noticed a need in the community. Girls were missing school every month and sometimes getting so behind they eventually dropped out. Women were missing days of work. And, many were using unhygienic methods to control bleeding like banana leaves and old rags. To help we started distributing sanitary pads and other hygiene products and teaching menstrual education.

Resource Distribution

Through partnership with companies like AFRIpads and organizations like the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central, we have supplied 7,466 menstrual kits for school-age students, each including a year’s supply of sanitary pads (in Kiboga, Uganda and Nairobi, Kenya). These resources have serviced 89,592 periods. Most of these girls have also received underwear, soap, hygiene booklets, and menstrual education. Soon we will be expanding our distribution to include young mothers and local schools.

EDUCATION

We have taught hundreds of people about menstrual health at dozens of schools and community meetings. Often our menstrual health presentation is paired with sex education lessons or other women’s health education. This education includes but is not limited to: logistics of menstruation, menstrual hygiene, reproduction, resources, and menopause. Many of our teachers are men who work to end stigma and normalize menstruation. We also have plans to begin teaching male students about menstruation to create a future of men who are supportive of menstruating women in their lives and to end taboo.

Menstrual Health Surveys

We have begun research among local students and schools. Our menstrual health surveys give us insight into the lives of school-age girls who have experienced menstruation. Questions include information about menstrual health issues, available resources, and each student’s experience with their school. Through this research we hope to gain understanding about how to best help menstruating students and local schools.