It’s been an amazing day. This was the first outreach organized and I believe it went very successfully.
Most supporters were unable to come join us in Kibera this first time round and so it was just me and Koki. I hadn’t really thought much about what to expect when we got there neither did we have a clue as to what we would even say to any of the girls. Koki is more of a strategy planner who likes to know exactly what process we are going to follow, while I wasn’t too worried about not having a plan. All I knew was that this was going to make a difference for the girls for the next two months or so.
Through Jane Anyango of Polycom Development Projects which is in Kibera, we were able to interact and meet with about 166 girls along with their teachers and some volunteer girls too.
The girls were happy so have us there. They did presentations, sang songs and basically spoke out bravely about their challenges during their monthly period.
Thanks to Koki we did a demonstration on the use of the sanitary pads and talked about personal hygiene. Some of the girls use rags, which is quite concerning and an eye opener considering that water in the area is a problem. Though the session was filled with laughs and giggles, it was clear to see that they were having a great time and sharing their experiences.
Support from friends enabled us to raise funds for 354 packets of sanitary pads. Our shillings stretched much further than we expected which meant all the girls got to go home with at least two packets each and some packets were left for Jane to distribute further.
It’s been exciting , especially since this is a cause that we feel passionately about. The issues which were shared by most of the girls are simply heart wrenching, others are absolutely unfathomable, but the reality is that they happen.
Many thanks again for all your support, please join us on other outreaches which we plan to have going ahead. Sanitary pads are a simple necessity that doesn’t cost much but can make such a difference to the girls who cannot afford them. The reality is, that for households living on less than $1 a day sanitary pads are a luxury.
The smiles were worth all the effort that went into this day.
Check us out on our Path to Womanhood254 Facebook group for a look at many more pictures from today!
