In rural Kenya, 1 in every 10 girls will miss school for 4 days in a month during her menses due to lack of proper sanitary supplies. This totals to 36 days in a 9 month school year. If not missing school, the girl is forced to use inappropriate and unhygienic materials that do not offer sufficient protection, putting her at risk of contracting infections and being the subject of ridicule.
Lewa’s Education Department has partnered with Path To Womanhood to fix this problem. For three days, women in an Adult Literacy sewing group were trained how to identify reasonable and safe materials in the area that could be used to make these sanitary towels. They were also taught how to make them and maintain hygiene while using the pads.
With acquisition of sufficient funds, the women of the Adult Literacy sewing group will make these re-usable pads, which shall then be distributed to the girls in the Lewa sponsored schools. The demand for affordable sanitary ware in the area also presents a business opportunity for the ladies who can make earn extra income by producing them for sale. The success of this project will not only ensure that the girls no longer have to miss school, but it will also help restore their dignity.
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