By Saliwe Mutetwa-Zakariya | Director
A new year symbolises many different things and to the school girls in Zimbabwe, the new year meant a new beginning. As they returned to school, they had the opportunity to set audacious goals that would enable them to steer their lives from a life on poverty and unmet needs.
Talia Women's Network commenced the year with intensified campaigns to keep the girls in school and end period poverty. Through our multi-faceted apporach to menstrual hygiene management, we held sessions with the girls on sexual reproductive health, career guidance and goal setting. During the sessions, we allowed the girls to dream of a world free of impossibilities, a world in which there were no limitations and a world where they had the freedom to reach their full potential. We then let the girls understand that their dreams could come true - only through clear goal setting and actively pursuing those goals, not letting distractions such as boys, peer pressure, unwanted pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse and early childhood marriages deter them from attaining what they set out to achieve.
Through the life skills training, we also helped the girls understand and manage menstruation. We described the changes that happen in a young girls body during puberty, explained what menstruation is and why it occurs, shared information on pain management during menstruation and shared tips on personal hygiene. We discussed the different hygiene products and options the girls could use to manage their monthly flow. All the girls received dignity packs which comprised of reusable cloth pads, underwear and different hygiene products. We demonstrated how to use the reusable cloth pads and how to take care of their pads. Reusable cloth pads are an affordable and sustainable product to use during menstruation and can be used for up to 18 months with proper care.
By Saliwe Mutetwa-Zakariya | Director
By Saliwe Mutetwa-Zakariya | Director
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