Health education and sustainable menstrual kits for 200 girls in Ghana
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Education
🇬🇭 Ghana
👩🏿🦲 200
$1,870
Summary
This project, in partnership with the AKAYA Foundation, seeks to combat period poverty and enhance health education for 200 girls in Ghana's Teshie and Shai Osudoku Districts. With a budget of £1500 and a duration of 8-10 weeks, the initiative will deliver crucial health knowledge and reusable menstrual products to these young women, fostering their well-being, education, and empowerment.
Why?
In the economically challenged regions of Shai Osudoku and Teshie, girls confront significant obstacles that undermine their education and health. The prohibitive cost of sanitary products, compounded by taxes, places them in vulnerable situations, affecting their ability to attend school consistently. Furthermore, a pervasive lack of personal health information and societal pressures exacerbate these challenges, creating a dire need for intervention.
Where?
The project will be carried out in the Teshie and Shai Osudoku Districts of Ghana, areas notably affected by period poverty and where educational setbacks among girls are prevalent due to economic and societal factors.
How?
Empowerment Workshops: Conducting sessions on menstrual health, sexual rights, and confidence-building to empower girls.
Sustainable Menstrual Kits: Distributing reusable menstrual products to address period poverty and support uninterrupted school attendance.
Broader Education: Engaging with schools and communities to create a supportive ecosystem for girls' health and education.
Implementation Approach: Collaborating with local organizations to identify and support beneficiaries, assembling necessary resources, and training local educators for sustained impact. An evaluation framework will also be established to measure the project's effectiveness in improving health knowledge and school attendance.
The Future Impact of the Project
This initiative is poised to significantly lessen the burden of period poverty for 200 girls, enhancing their educational attendance and overall quality of life. By fostering a better understanding of health and rights, the project empowers participants to make informed decisions about their bodies and futures. Moreover, by removing health-related barriers to education, it promotes regular school attendance. Ultimately, this project aims to serve as a scalable model for addressing similar challenges across Ghana and potentially beyond, laying the groundwork for broader societal change.
Conclusion
Addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by girls in Ghana due to poverty, lack of health education, and societal barriers, this project represents a critical step forward. With the support of Kwanda and the AKAYA Foundation, it will not only transform the lives of 200 girls but also inspire broader community and societal advancements.
Updates
From the field
The day is over, and the second school is wrapped
Posted 5 April 2024
200 girls in Dunkwa received the education sessions and resources containing disposable pads, pens, pencils, body soap, and hand sanitisers.
100 menstruating girls across the two schools received sustainable menstrual kits. The remaining 100 will be for the Shai girls next month.
School teachers from both schools also joined the workshops when delivered to be informed.
Formal training will be implemented for the Shai educators next month.
The students providing post-session feedback
Posted 5 April 2024
Both students and teachers are encouraged to provide feedback on the sessions so the facilitators can improve upon future workshops and sessions.
The Akaya team arriving at the second school
Posted 5 April 2024
The team is now arriving at the second school for the day, after concluding the first half of the day.
First school of the day complete
Posted 5 April 2024
The facilitators wrapped up at the first school of the day and distributed menstrual kits to all the female menstruating students.
Photographs of the health education sessions
Posted 5 April 2024
Here are some photographs on the students and facilitators in session:
Nafisat delivering a session on consent and safe touch
Posted 5 April 2024
Our fellow Kwanda villager and trained psychotherapist Nafisat delivered a session to the girls on consent and safe touch.
The team has arrived at the first school and is kicking off the first workshops
Posted 5 April 2024
Seen here are girls engaging in small group discussions about the barriers to girls pursuing an education in Ghana. The girls also provide pre-session feedback to the facilitators.
The team in Ghana have started putting together kits
Posted 4 April 2024
A quick update!
The Akaya Foundation team has successfully received the cash transfer. They are procuring and putting together the menstrual kits in Ghana. They will hold the workshops this week and give girls 100 across two schools in the Dunkwa Abontsin area sustainable menstrual kits.
The workshops will involve teachers, boys, and girls.