This proposal seeks funding to expand the scope of our health education and sustainable menstrual kits initiative for students in Ghana by supporting and equipping 300 more girls in the Sekyere Central and Adansi South Districts of the Ashanti Region with essential health education, confidence-building workshops, and reusable menstrual products.

Why is this work necessary?

In Ghana, period poverty is a significant issue that disproportionately affects girls' education and well-being. The high cost of sanitary products, exacerbated by taxes, forces many girls into precarious situations to afford them, impacting their education and health. This problem is acute in the Sekyere Central and Adansi South Districts of the Ashanti Region.

According to the Ghana Statistical Service:

• Sekyere Central District faces high rates of uneducated females and girls being forced into early marriage.

• Adansi South District suffers from a high poverty rate, with many children not attending school and being forced into child labour due to a lack of educational resources.

Furthermore, Ghana faces broader challenges that compound these issues:

• A significant health knowledge gap undermines girls' well-being and confidence.

• Societal pressures and economic hardships disproportionately affect girls, leading to lower school attendance and achievement.

The solution

A comprehensive approach to address these challenges:

1. Empowerment Workshops: Tailored sessions that cover menstrual health, sexual rights, and confidence-building, empowering girls to take control of their health and futures.

2. Sustainable Menstrual Kits: Providing reusable menstrual products to address period poverty sustainably and ensure girls can attend school without interruption.

3. Broader Education: Engaging schools and communities, fostering a supportive environment for girls' health and education.

How this will be carried out

The work will be implemented over a 2-3 month period, following these steps:

1. Collaboration with the Ghana Education Service to identify schools and communities within the Sekyere Central and Adansi South Districts.

2. Local assembly of sustainable menstrual kits for distribution.

3. Training of local educators to run the workshops, ensuring the project's lasting influence in the community.

4. Execution of workshops for 300 girls, covering essential health knowledge and confidence-building activities.

5. Assessment of the project's impact through established evaluation methods and production of a comprehensive report.

Impact and outcomes of this work

• Alleviate period poverty challenges for 300 girls, boosting their school attendance, academic attainment, and overall quality of life.

• Enhance understanding of health and rights, empowering participants to make informed decisions about their bodies and futures.

• Provide girls with the confidence and communication skills necessary to broaden their aspirations and pursue future careers.

• Encourage regular school attendance by removing health-related barriers. The provided menstrual kits will ensure each girl can stay in school for up to two years without interruption.

• Serve as a scalable model for similar interventions across Ghana and beyond, potentially impacting thousands more girls in the future.

This work will contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty and empowering the next generation of Ghanaian women.