Keeping girls in school by tackling period poverty sustainably

Our effort to distribute reusable menstrual kits to 175 students concluded last Friday, with a final 55 students receiving their reusable kits.

Attached is a report of the work.

We're looking to close out the year with a final distribution of 300 reusable menstrual kits in Ghana on October 28th.

This will be the last distribution of kits this year and will bring our total to 1,155 students supported, or 462,000 hours of school time reclaimed over a two-year period.

The first distribution took place in Kwekwe today. 120 students received reusable menstrual kits, and a broader group of students participated in health education workshops.

Attached is a reel of the day's events:

Today, the Kwanda community voted to return to Ghana, expanding this initiative to support an additional 300 girls in the Sekyere Central and Adansi South Districts of the Ashanti Region.

We'll once again partner with the Akaya Foundation, which has begun preparations and is now procuring kits for distribution.

We've secured distribution approval from the Ministry of Education in Kwekwe, and a District Schools Inspector has also been assigned to accompany our team to schools.

Currently, the team is finalising distribution dates and beneficiary lists with local schools. The proposed distribution date is set for September 26th.

The team in Zimbabwe has made great progress in producing 700 washable pads and holder bags to be distributed to 175 girls. These were crafted by the women trained at the Ruwa safe house, who used their new sewing skills.

Schools reopen on September 9th, and the team is finalising distribution plans.

As per the last, we extended this initiative into Zimbabwe and will distribute reusable menstrual kits to 175 students in urban and rural Areas.

This time around, we employed and trained women in a safe house in Ruwa, which homes women who became pregnant in their teenage years or otherwise needed to tap into communal support networks.

This update includes clips of the women tapping their newly learned sewing skills and producing the holder bags that will house the reusable pads.

Distribution will begin in September once students are back in school. As a result, these students will be able to attend all school days of the year.

We’re currently voting to expand this initiative in Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Daises Foundation.

As schools are currently closed, August will focus solely on training local women in Ruwa to create the kits. Distribution of the kits will commence in September once students are back in school.

For the last two weeks, the local moms and our team have been busy making, training, and distributing reusable sanitary pads for the two remaining schools, Makaalu Primary and Mwaasua Secondary Schools.

1. Nunga Primary School - 35 girls

2. Wamunyu ABC Primary School - 31 girls

3. Makaalu Secondary School - 34 girls

4. Kilembwa Secondary - 289 girls 

5. Mbuini Primary School- 30 girls

6. Makaalu Primary School – 31 girls

7. Mwaasua Secondary School – 30 girls

During our training and distribution schedules, the students have expressed great gratitude for the kits. Faith, a student at Mwaasua Secondary School, commented:

“I am humbled and excited to receive the kit; I will not be stressed anymore on what to use during my period. Sometimes, I was praying that my period skips when I am in school because I don’t have sanitary pads.’

‘I am happy that the parents of the girls who receive the wings Poa won’t struggle to buy synthetic sanitary pads and that money can instead be used to buy food for the family.  I am proud of making the Wings Poa because I know girls won’t miss school and won’t have challenges getting sanitary pads.

One month after receiving the Kwanda grant, we are excited to share that 419 girls have been trained and issued with reusable sanitary pad kits.

So far, 5 schools out of 7 targeted schools have been fully trained and issued with the kits. They include:

1. Nunga Primary School - 35 girls

2. Wamunyu ABC Primary School - 31 girls

3. Makaalu Secondary School - 34 girls

4. Kilembwa Secondary - 289 girls and

5. Mbuini Primary School- 30 girls

The training and distribution of the reusable pad kits last month at Makaalu Secondary coincided with International Menstrual Hygiene Day! It was a day of celebration for these girls to receive their kits and regain a sense of dignity. During the training and distribution of the kits at the respective schools, our team listened to students who expressed great gratitude for the kits. Here are a few comments from the girls.

During my periods I used to fake illness so that I could stay at the dormitory because I didn't have sanitary pads. I was using cut out materials from kanga fabric and they would often leak. Now with the kit, I will be able to attend classes without fear of leakage. — Mercy, Kilembwa secondary

I’m happy to receive my kit. For now, I will not be sharing the sanitary pads with my sister since my mother used to buy just one pack for both of us to share. — Ann, Mbuini Ps

Our maker space has been intensively assisting local mothers in sewing and producing the kits.

I am happy and enjoying making the kits. I can now get money from making the kits and ‘am not dependent on casual jobs. Through making the kits, I am able to start poultry farming

I received this lovely video recording from the girls at Makaalu Secondary School this afternoon.

Our team has identified 7 schools whose girls shall benefit from the sanitary pads: Nunga Primary School, Wamunyu ABC Primary School, Mbuini Primary School, Makaalu Primary School, Kilembwa Secondary School, Makaalu Secondary School and Mwaasua Secondary School

This morning, I received an update from James, the project lead in Kenya who's overseeing the delivery of menstrual kits to 400 students.

Last week, the Akaya team met with girls from 12 different schools to carry out health workshops and distribute kits, concluding this initiative in Ghana. Here are photos from the day.