A community based organization has started an ambitious program where they target to donate sanitary pads to at least 1200 girls each month.
The program is meant to ensure that the girls stay in school during the menstrual flow and the sanitary towels will be distributed in six schools with priority being given to those from humble background.
The group dubbed Igembe Focus CBO will mainly give priority to day schools in arid and semi arid areas because that is where the most needy and venerable cases are found.
The group Patron Romano Mwito said they will initially visit and donate sanitary pads to two schools in each of the three constituencies in Igembe region.
He said the project which is still at the pilot stage is targeting approximately 1200 girls in six schools.
“The group which is mainly composed of business people main agenda is to ensure that girls remain in school by providing sanitary pads to them with priority being given to those from humble families.
We are targeting approximately 1200 girls in six schools in our pilot program,” said Mwito.
He appealed for financial support from the community and Samaritans in order to make the project sustainable.
He also called on like minded groups to partner with them in order to sustain the girl child in school noting each group can adapt at least a girl or two and support them with sanitary pads.
“We are giving back to the community and we have chosen an education project because education is the key to the success of any society. I urge all the residents to fully support the initiative,” said the patron.
The group Chairman Morris Kobia said they plan to reach as many girls as possible with priority being given to day schools in arid and semi arid areas because that is where the most venerable children are located.
He said they hope to have the distribution exercise done once a month or per term depending on the availability of resources.
He lauded the group for financially supporting the initiative noting other groups can adapt a girl or two to support them with sanitary pads.
“The admission of girls especially in arid and semi arid areas is on the rise. The teachers in such far flung areas are forced to intervene by rising funds to buy pads for girls because many can’t afford them.
It’s unfortunate that many girls miss school due to lack of sanitary towels with some missing school up to three weeks per term,” noted the chairman.
Kobia called on groups and Samaritans to intervene by assisting in order to ensure the menstrual flow doesn’t end up stigmatising the girls due to lack of sanitary towels.
He said apart from the sanitary pads initiative, they engage in various community based projects meant to assist the locals.
Florence Kanorio, a member said many girls shy away from requesting for money to buy sanitary pads from their parents and instead feign sickness in a bid to avoid going to school.
“Many girls don’t want to go beyond their homesteads during the menstrual flow due to the shame associated with it especially due to the notorious patch at times left on the dress. Let us educate our children to understand and acknowledge that menstrual flow is a natural occurrence which should not stigmatise anybody ” said Kanorio.
She regretted that many girls do not know what is a sanitary pads noting it is the duty of the community to take up the responsibility.
The group managed to exceed it target after it managed to reach out to 1480 girls against a target of 1200.
