Empower, Engage, Educate in Rural Kenya!

It's tough being a girl in rural Kenya. Even though education is open and encouraged, if families do not have enough money for school fees, it's often the girls that stay home. Girls also struggle during their monthly menstruation. The lack of sanitary pads, access to water for washing, and menstrual health information sidelines girls from school. This results in many girls missing 4-5 days of school per month. Some girls, desperate to be in school, exchange sex for pads or use dried leaves and rags to manage the flow. It's not a good situation.

In 2017, Kenya Connect created and introduced "Wings Poa" locally made Reusable Sanitary Pad Kits. These kits, made by village women, are comfortable to use and last 1 to 2 years. The women who make the kits earn income to pay school fees and to feed their families. The Wings Poa kits are distributed for free in our partner schools to girls in upper primary and secondary school. When the kits are distributed, the girls learn how to use the kits and how to clean the liners and shields. In addition, the Kenya Connect staff creates a "safe space" for them to ask questions about their periods and puberty. Questions like, "How do I manage cramps?," What happens if I get more than 1 period per month?" and "What is the best way to track my period?" are often asked. Our staff provides factual information including how to track periods using a menstrual calendar.

Since 2017, we have distributed over 1500 kits. This year we have a BIG goal is to distribute 1000 more! Head Teachers and teachers said that providing kits has made a difference in girls' attendance in school and helped them feel more comfortable during their monthly cycle.

During the April 8-12 GlobalGiving Little by Little Campaign, all donations will go to support the Wings Poa program. Your gift will help us purchase the fabric, including PUL water resistant material, to create the kits and provide funds to pay women to sew the kits. It's really a double impact donation that helps both women and girls! All donations under $50 will be matched 50% so if you make a gift of $20, we receive $30 which produces close to 5 kits or a $50 gift gives us $75 which produces almost 12 kits! Just think, for a gift of $20 you can help provide a sanitary pad kit to 6 girls.

Thank you for being a supporter of Kenya Connect. Your donations have helped us strengthen education through our dynamic educational programs for students and teachers, while breaking down barriers to education through programs like Wings Poa (which means cool wings in Swahili).