COMMUNITY
In Uganda, as in many other parts of the world, girls in rural areas often have little or no access to health services and sanitary towels. This can have a profound effect on their health and well-being, as well as their ability to attend school and participate in other activities. In many schools in rural parts of Uganda, so many girls are still left behind in class work simply because they cannot access sanitary towels in their schools. But ask yourself the following questions;
Why should a girl miss 20% of school days each year due to a lack of sanitary towels? How about the girls who are not in school, who caters to them when it comes to that time of the month? What about the girls with special needs? What extra caution has been put in place to make sure their needs are put into consideration? How are their families and communities catering to their needs? Why are girls hiding whenever they experience a menstrual cycle?
I have heard a few of my friends narrating about their experiences in school, they say that they were always encouraged to bring sanitary pads to school each school term, and these pads were put in a pool to also cater to those who were not able to bring them. Some girls’ families cannot afford to buy pads for their girls. Pads are a necessity for every girl and woman on this planet, why are they not affordable to everyone?
Menstruation in many societies is discussed in hushed tones. Unfortunately, the ripple effect is that young girls across the country are forced to drop out of school because they cannot deal with it.
- Caroline Ariba.
We should consider making menstrual health a priority in our societies. An appeal to the government is that it should distribute pads to school administration free of charge. If they are giving out condoms for free, why shouldn’t they also buy pads and put them in schools so that girls at school can access them more easily?
Different Non-government organizations like Concern for the Girl Child have made it their mandate to make sure that the girls feel comfortable in who they are. They have made the menstrual period manageable for school-going children by providing the girls with sanitary towels each month. They have also taught the girls about the importance of being clean, especially during this period. It is such organizations that are changing the narrative in Menstrual health, they are bringing the services closer to the girls so that they do not have to feel left out.
Let us not be silent about the hardships surrounding this issue, many girls cannot stand up to say something in class because they fear they might be having a stain on their uniforms. That fear is crippling all campaigns that are geared towards making the girl child stand out as a leader in society.
The struggle to secure these girls a world of freedom in menstrual health is still on, do not be kept out; Join the struggle.
Nice Blog
You are welcome
Nice piece, I just stumbled upon this site through LinkedIn, and I like what your friends are doing here, and I will like to support you in some ways.
Hello OFORDUM.M.
Thank you for appreciating our work.
You can support us through the following different avenues;
-Sponsor a girl in secondary school or university
-Give in kind
-Support the vocational institute Project
-Support us in procuring menstrual hygiene products such as pads for the girls.
You can support us through these channels;
Stanbic Bank Uganda;
9030005764199 UGX
9030008119014 USD
For more information please contact us at info@concernforgirlchild.org
Thank you for being so supportive, we appreciate it.
Thank you for appreciating.