Buy a Pad, Keep a Girl in School

It is the familiar story for many children in the villages and city of Kampala Uganda. Parents are forced to remove their children from schooling because they can no longer afford the school fees for books and uniforms. As a child, the now 19-year-old Oliva was facing the same challenge. She dropped out of school at a young age due to expensive school fees, but luckily was able to find Set Her Free where she is participating in the vocational training program. In her free time, she likes to sing and write music. The community she found at Set Her Free has increased her confidence, empowered her to be the person she hoped to become, and inspired her to pursue a career in fashion and reach out to teach others who are interested, as well. 

While Oliva was able to seek other opportunities outside of schooling, other young people in Kampala are not as fortunate. Even if students are able to pay the school fees, many female students have the additional obstacle of managing their periods while at school. Set Her Free’s pad program is important in improving the success of young girls in their education by providing reusable hygienic materials including soap and underwear as well as sanitary pads.

This upcoming summer, the new GROW team from GlobeMed will use observations from the past summer GROW team to improve the next pad distribution. The staff of Set Her Free along with the GROW students are continuing to develop this program so more girls are able to get the education so important to their success in the future, and more girls like Oliva will have the support necessary to pursue their goals.

 Thank you so much for your continued support for Set Her Free and our Pad Program!

 Best,

The GlobeMed Team