We’ve been completely overwhelmed by the amazing results of our sanitary pad project. Here’s what a local Headteacher told us:
- Absenteeism is down by 40% across the school. It’s a co-ed school, and this figure is due to girls not missing school when they have a period.
- Teenage pregnancy is down. This is because girls are not having sex with men for money to buy pads.
- In the important end of school exam (KCP), the top 5 students in the school were all girls! This is unusual as it’s normally the boys who do the best.
When we spoke to the girls, they said that the pads are comfortable, they don’t leak, they like them just as they are and most importantly they are able to go to school every day.
On our recent visit to Buburi we met with the Headteacher and girls of Nandrema *Primary School. Last year we gave 185 packs of pads and pants to schoolgirls there and we were keen to get some feedback on the effect that the pads are having and what the girls think of them. We are thrilled with the results – they’re better than we could have hoped for. It shows the huge impact that something as simple as a sanitary pad can have on young girls’ lives and how they can actually be life changing.
So we’ve been supporting local women in Buburi to set up a business to start making sanitary pads that women and girls can buy. It’s our aim to fundraise so we can buy pads from the women and give them to local girls who can’t afford them. We’ll help the women with their business and help the girls too. It’s a win-win! In addition, when we go to Buburi again we’ll take more pads with us that have been made by our wonderful sewing supporters here in the UK.
*Primary schools in Kenya have children up to 14/15 years old and then they go to secondary school so we met with a group of older girls in the school.
Photo is of girls from Bukiri School.