In September 2021, the Basizana Project launched with 300 beneficiaries in Central Province Zambia. This year, 2022 the project is expanding to the Western Province to impact 1000 beneficiaries. On average, rural girls miss about 20% of school days annually due to lack of menstrual supplies and often missing exams or performing poorly as a result of their absenteeism during their period. The Basizana Project aims to address this issue by providing sustainable reusable pads to the beneficiaries.
Menstrual absenteeism, is a problem for school girls in the rural central and western provinces, who miss about 20% of their school attendance due to lack of menstrual supplies. This has had a negative impact on their academic performance, with some dropping out due to missed or failed exams. Thus, leading to early pregnancies and child marriages, for girls that have dropped out of school.
The Basizana project has partnered up with sustainable reusable pad manufacturers to make and provide reusable pads and menstrual health training to 1000 rural girls in Zambia. The name 'Basizana' celebrates "young women coming of age" in the Lozi tribe and has befittingly been chosen as the name of this project, because we believe that young women should not have to feel burdened with the natural coming of age due to their economic status.
The project will impact over 1000 girls allowing them to rise out of period poverty, one school at a time. Through the supply of sustainable reusable pads, all recipients will be able to finish secondary school without the limitations of period poverty, thus reducing menstrual absenteeism to 0% for each girl that receives a packet of reusable pads from us. Read More about our efforts in the project pitch deck attached below.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
