“Sanitation is a human right which protects everyone’s dignity. Toilets mean progress and can especially transform the lives of women and girls”. (United Nations 2024)
Many of us reading this won’t think twice about “going to the loo”, as we often say in the UK. We take our access to toilets, running water to wash with and take away our waste, for granted. However for the girls and women in rural Kenya, that we support through our work supplying reusable period pads, not having access to toilets and sanitation negatively impacts their lives in many ways. They are more vulnerable to abuse, attack and ill health which affects their ability to study, work and live in dignity. (UN 2024)
Now imagine also trying to look after your personal hygiene during your period, without access to a toilet or clean running water or sanitary products. That is a reality for many of the girls we support and they can leave education possibly leading to early marriage, pregnancy and abuse.
Power Of Pads works through local Kenyan organisations to provide reusable period pads to girls in rural Kenya. Having these pads means they can keep going to school, get an education and are less likely to be exploited and harmed.
We believe in the power of pads to transform girls and womens lives. So next time you visit your toilet today, remember it is World Toilet Day. And perhaps you would also consider supporting Power Of Pads in this valuable work – it could change a girl’s life.