Improving school attendance in Zimbabwe through reusable menstrual kits and hygiene education

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.

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:

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.

We have received an update from Takudzwa Chitima, one of our partners on the ground. She has carried out a follow-up survey with four of the girls who received reusable Days for Girls pads as part of this project. 

Mitchell in Form 4 found the Days for Girls pads challenging at first as she was used to disposables. However, the learning curve wasn't steep, especially as she had been washing disposable pads and reusing them. She's had no leakage and has not bought reusable pads since she started using the Days for Girls pads. Her family members also want to know where they can get some! 

Karen in Form 4 has stopped buying disposable pads and only uses the Days for Girls pads. She finds them easy to wash, and they dry quickly. The pad holder is a bit big for her, but she's had no leakage and no longer experiences the irritation she used to get with disposables.

All 50 girls have now received their kits of reusable pads!

We received an update from Chipo and Takudzwa, who are on the ground and in partnership with us to provide sustainable sanitary kits for 50 girls in Mbare, Zimbabwe.

The teachers at Mbare High School are on strike, protesting inadequate pay, which is delaying the distribution of the pads. Our partners have a good relationship with the teachers, so we will be informed as soon as it is possible to carry out the distribution. Days for Girls have completed the manufacturing process, and the pads are ready for distribution.

We've successfully managed to transfer the project funds to Chipo (project lead) in Zimbabwe, who is now procuring inputs for the kits and planning the logistics.