The MA foundation is helping teenage girls make their own reusable sanitary pads, enabling them to attend school, supporting them with their lives and livelihoods. The initiative sofar is planned for the government aided primary schools in Bukedea District and it started in 2022.
Rural families often cannot afford sanitary products, which are prohibitively expensive. “Often one pack costs more than the daily cost of living, the equivalent of paying in excess of £35.
This is unthinkable given the strides made in tackling period poverty recently, making pads and tampons more readily available.
“This results in girls having to use rags that do not offer protection nor comfort, so they miss school when they are on their period. These young girls receive no proper support at home, in school and within the community.
“A study has found out that more than half of girls miss school at least once each month because of menstruation. Less schooling puts them at risk of early marriage, domestic abuse, increased health problems and locks them in the vicious cycle of poverty.
“By raising awareness and improving access to affordable, good-quality reusable sanitary pads for girls in school and community, helps the girls and teenagers can get the education they need.
The initiative has been commended by local leaders and community members, as it provides the young women with both life skills – sewing and manufacturing – as well as affordable, reusable sanitary towels.
Advantages of the reusable sanitary pads;
a). They are environmentally friendly: In today’s current environmental situation using something once is not enough! When you choose to reuse anything from dishes to towels, you’re helping make a cultural shift that values quality over wastefulness.
b). They are healthier compared to the one time used pads: they can reduce menstrual cramps. They also can reduce infections and skin rashes because they are more breathable than single-use pads that have plastic lining. The plastics, synthetic fibers, wool pulp, chlorine, synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances and pesticides, and herbicide ridden cotton used in disposable menstrual products can lead to allergic reactions, hormone disruption, reproductive disorders, and even cancer.
c) The reusable helps the girls to save money: Cloth pads can last years and assuming most girls start to menstruate at the age of 12 years up to about their 40 years, and spends about $8 every other month on single-use pads, it eventually adds up to $1,920 over her lifetime. If she’s using a pack a month, that’s $3,840. Just imagine what they could do with that money!
d) The girls can start up small scale business and sell the pads to generate income hence helps the girls develop hand industry.
e) They are sanitary and wont leak, they are very sanitary, easy to clean, and many have a waterproof lining inside to prevent leaking.
3. The Target Group
The girls of primary five, six and seven of government primary schools in Bukedea District.
4.0 Project objectives
- To enable train the girls to make their own sanitary pads
- To reduce the level of school absenteeism because of menstrual periods
- To create awareness and improving access to affordable, good-quality reusable sanitary pads for girls in school and community.
- To help the girls have a healthy living.
5.0 Project activities
- Education programs on the advantages of reusable sanitary pads to create awareness
- Sensitization of communities/parents about the reusable sanitary pads
- Mobilize primary schools for the project
- Purchase of training materials
- Conducting the training
6.0 Achievements
- The girls can now attend classes with confidence
- No more absenteeism from school because of Mensural periods
- Girls now even make money through making re-usable sanitary pads
Girls are now empowered to speak up for themselves with confidence
