As of late, I have been super busy at the college and deaf school. It seems like soon enough my time here will be finished!! Lately I have also been doing a lot of work with a local NGO called Afri-Pads. They are based out of Masaka and I met the owners through mutual friends. Afri-Pads was started because of the fact that young women here have a difficult time managing their menstrual cycles.
Young girls often end up using cotton, feathers or old t-shirts as pads. Because of this, they worry that it will leak, or worse fall out during school/athletics. These alternatives are also very unsanitary and often not properly washed. Young girls will often skip school during their period, rather than deal with the problems they encounter during it. This amounts to them missing about one week per month. If they do skip school during their period they miss 25% of the school year!!
When it comes to the college, the students are required to bring 4 packs of pads per term. They are not allowed to come unless they bring pads. It cost 2,500 Ugandan shillings for a pack.... so it comes to about 10,000 shillings per term. Multiply that by three terms per year, and the students are spending 30,000 shillings (15 US$) per year just to manage their period. Although this figure may seem to an American, it can be debilitating to a Ugandan.
Afri-Pads has created a re-usable menstrual pad with 5 liners that can be used for an entire year! The pad and liners only cost 3,000 shillings, so the girls can save a significant amount of money per year. The pad is made locally in Masaka, so its production pumps much needed income into the hands of young women. All of the people who work in the Afri-Pads workshops are from the area and all of them are young women.
This last month, I have traveled around to different schools promoting the product. It takes a bit for the girls to warm up to the idea, but after they understand that it will not only keep them in school but also save them money they are super excited to get their hands on them. If you want to learn more about Afri-Pads you can go to their website:
www.afripads.com
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Dear Friend
I write to introduced to you The African Network for the Prevention and
Protection Against Child Abuse and neglect (ANPPCAN) Liberia Chapter, was
founded in the late 2001. It is the national chapter of ANPPCAN, a pan-African
child rights organization founded in 1986 in Enugu Nigeria. It is legally
registered in Liberia as a national Non-Governmental and Non-profit
Organization.
Our mission is to enhance children and women rights protection through
building capacities of the local communities to protect their own children and
women.
ANPPCAN - Liberia is addressing issues of children and women abuse,
exploitation and neglect, which have been escalated by the civil conflict of the
last 14 years. Anppcan is also a member of HAP and Global Alliance against
Trafficking in Women (GAATW)
We believe in learning from our past experiences and sharing best practices
through providing platforms for information sharing such as through staff
exchange programs and enhancing network between institutions that protect Women
and children such as the ANPPCAN network. ANPPCAN Liberia is currently
participating in the south-south staff exchange program with support from
Fredskorpset Norway.
We are seeking partnership from your organization to support a new program we
intend to start in schools called Girls stay in school. This is as a result of
lack of access to sanitary pad for school girls in Liberia. Girls stay out of
school 5 days every month as a result of mensuration.We are therefore seeking
for donation of sanitary pads to kick off this campaign.
Hope that you assist us in the right direction.
Regards
Ruby Z. Folly
Program officer
Girls stay in school Campaign
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