EMPOWER 650 UGANDAN GIRLS TO CREATE MENSTRUAL PADS

REPORT FOR THE PERIOD:

OCTOBER 2025 TO JANUARY 2026

SUBMITTED TO GLOBALGIVING ACCELERATOR

BY REGINA N. MUHASA- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Building on several years of focused work in menstrual hygiene management, the programme has evolved to integrate additional livelihood skills aimed at improving the economic resilience of girls and women. While menstrual hygiene education remains a core component, it is now delivered alongside practical income-generating skills. During the reporting period, the project trained over 20 participants in the production of pillows, cushions, and reusable sanitary pads using locally available materials. This integrated approach enhances both health outcomes and sustainable livelihoods for the beneficiaries.

About Ravens Foundation (RAF)

Ravens Foundation (RAF) is an indigenous, community-based organization established in 2018 to advance transformational development among girls, women, and their communities. Based in Uganda, RAF focuses on empowering women and girls by addressing critical challenges related to menstrual hygiene management, education, health, and economic empowerment.

Vision: Fanning the Wisdom of Motherhood and the Nobility of Womanhood.

This vision reflects RAF’s belief in the inherent dignity, strength, and influence of women, particularly mothers as central pillars of family stability and community transformation.

Mission: To empower women and girls to manage personal hygiene with dignity while promoting health, education, and economic opportunities through counseling, skills training, and advocacy.

RAF seeks to achieve sustainable impact by equipping girls and women with practical tools, knowledge, and confidence to lead healthier and more empowered lives. Through the provision of reusable menstrual products, vocational skills training, and community outreach, the organization’s work is grounded in dignity, respect, and long-term social change.

Background

Motherhood is one of the most essential and influential callings in society, shaping the character and potential of individuals across all professions, including leadership, finance, faith, and education. Strong, nurturing mothers are foundational to the healthy development of families and communities.

In many low-income communities in Uganda and across Africa, women shoulder the primary responsibility for family survival. They face the dual burden of domestic care and subsistence farming, often with minimal support. Ravens Foundation is committed to empowering women and girls through practical, livelihood-focused skills that enable self-reliance and dignity. By equipping beneficiaries with knowledge and tools for income generation, the project strengthens households and contributes to the long-term resilience and wellbeing of the wider community.

Activities (October 2025 – January 2026)

As reported in the previous period, the project strengthened partnerships through collaboration with Women of Vision (WOVA), an organization engaged in similar work to empower women through tailoring and craft skills. During the current reporting period, the partnership supported a three-day training programme that reached over 20 women and girls, most of whom were on school holiday. Participants were trained in the production of pillows, cushions, and reusable sanitary pads, equipping them with practical skills for income generation and improved self-reliance. 

The photos above illustrate girls and women learning how to measure and cut scrap sponge and textile off-cuts for use in making pillows and cushions. Participants are guided through stitching techniques using glue and hand needles. Beyond technical skills, the training emphasizes mindset change, enabling women and girls to recognize and utilize locally available resources to create useful household products and generate income through small-scale sales.

In the above photos, participants were being trained to make reusable sanitary pads using locally available materials such as pieces of cloth, soft synthetic fabric, and hand needles for stitching. The objective of this training is to enable girls and women to produce their own menstrual hygiene materials. This, in turn, improves menstrual hygiene management, boosts self-esteem, and helps keep girls in school.

Challenges

Ravens Foundation (RAF) continues to face several significant challenges that hinder the full realization of our mission. Nevertheless, we remain committed to finding meaningful ways to reach our beneficiaries, even within the constraints of limited financial resources. Our dedication to building skills, confidence, and independence among women and girls remains unwavering.

Key Challenges:

• Limited Funding: Financial constraints remain one of our greatest challenges. As a grassroots organization, we rely heavily on goodwill and volunteer support. However, sustaining volunteer engagement has become increasingly difficult, as many dedicated team members must prioritize paid employment to support their families. This affects both the consistency and the reach of our programs.
• Lack of a Designated Training Center: RAF currently does not have a permanent or officially designated space for conducting skills training. This limits our ability to run structured, continuous training programs and to expand our impact.

• REPORT_FOR_THE_PERIOD_OCTOBER_2025JANUARY_2026.pdf (PDF)
  

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Menstrual Hygiene: A Critical Step toward Health, Dignity, and Education for Girls. Menstrual hygiene is essential to the health, dignity, and empowerment of girls and women. Yet, millions around the world—especially in developing countries like Uganda—still lack access to safe menstrual hygiene facilities and affordable products. In rural and semi-urban areas, the impact is particularly severe.

For example, recent statistics show that 25.8% of teenage girls in Budaka district become pregnant before the age of 18, with Iki-Iki sub-county among the most affected—reporting over 156 teenage pregnancies. Tragically, some of these girls are coerced into transactional sex just to obtain a single packet of sanitary pads, leading to cycles of poverty, early motherhood, and school dropout.

Due to extreme poverty, many girls and young mothers rely on unsafe alternatives such as dirty rags, banana leaves, and other unhygienic materials to manage their periods. These practices pose serious health risks and contribute to low self-esteem and school absenteeism.

At Ravens Foundation, we are addressing these barriers head-on by training girls and women to make reusable sanitary pads. This initiative empowers them with practical skills, promotes safe menstrual hygiene, and helps restore dignity and confidence. More importantly, it enables girls to stay in school, focus on their education, and make informed decisions about their futures.

We believe that access to menstrual hygiene is not a luxury—it is a basic human right. Through local solutions and community-driven action, we are creating a ripple effect of change that reaches far beyond the individual.

About Ravens Foundation (RAF)

Ravens Foundation (RAF) is an indigenous, local entity established in 2018with thegoal of advancingtransformational developmentin the lives ofgirls, women, and their communities. Based in Uganda, RAF is committed to empowering women and girls by addressing critical challenges related to menstrual hygiene, education, health, and economic empowerment.

Vision:Fanning the Wisdom of Motherhood and the Nobility of Womanhood.

This vision reflects our deep belief in the unique power, dignity, and influence of women especially mothers, as central pillars of family and community transformation.

Mission: To empower women and girls to manage their personal hygiene with dignity, while promoting health, education, and economic opportunities through counseling, skills training, and advocacy.

We strive to create sustainable change by equipping girls and women with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to lead healthier, more empowered lives. Whether through the provision of reusable menstrual products, vocational training, or community outreach, our work is rooted in dignity, respect, and long-term impact.

Background

Motherhood is one of the most noble and essential callings in the world. It is foundational to every society and deeply influences the development of individuals across all professions; be they politicians, bankers, clergy, or educators. Without strong, nurturing mothers, no one can effectively reach their full potential.

In many low-income communities across Uganda, Africa, and beyond, women bear the weight of their families’ survival. They face the dual burden of domestic responsibilities and subsistence farming, often with little to no support. In Budaka District, our area of focus, more than 70% of women and girls are either semi-illiterate or completely illiterate. Most lack employable skills and economic opportunities, making it difficult to break the cycle of poverty.

At Ravens Foundation, we believe in empowering women and girls with practical skills that can transform their lives. By equipping them with knowledge and tools, we not only uplift individual households but also lay the foundation for healthier, more resilient communities.

Activities (June - September 2025)

As reported in the previous reporting period, our we started preparing for training sessions aimed at improving skills in reusable sanitary pad making and other income-generating crafts but were affected by several challenges.  So in this reporting period, we decided to explore the possibility of networking with another organization called Woman Of Vision (WOVA), which does similar work to train some women in tailoring and making crafts. We have not yet signed a Memorandum of Understanding but we hope it will be done and so far some few women have started attending training sessions at WOVA.

Some women attending tailoring sessions at WOVA- photos attached

We continue exploring ways to reach our beneficiaries meaningfully, even within the constraints of financial resources. Our commitment to building skills, confidence, and independence remains unwavering.

Challenges

Ravens Foundation (RAF) continues to face several significant challenges that hinder the full realization of our mission:

• Limited Funding: Financial constraints remain one of our biggest challenges. As a grassroots organization, we rely heavily on goodwill and volunteer efforts. However, sustaining volunteer engagement is becoming increasingly difficult as many of our dedicated team members must prioritize finding paid work to support their families. This affects the consistency and reach of our programs.
• Lack of a Designated Training Center: We currently do not have a permanent or officially designated space for conducting our skills training.

• REPORT_FOR_THE_PERIOD_JUNESEPTEMBER_2025.pdf (PDF)