Reproductive Health Nigeria Project #51409

Help Give Girls Dignity and Confidence

by Girls Education Mission International

Project Report | Nov 24, 2025
GEM Joins Global Movement for Menstrual Health

By Keturah Shammah | Executive Director

Dear Partner,

We are thrilled to share an exciting update about Girls Education Mission International’s work in menstrual health management.

Recently, we received official confirmation: GEM International is now a registered World Menstrual Hygiene Day Partner. We join more than 1,150 partners worldwide in the global movement to create a #periodfriendlyworld, a powerful testament to our commitment to girls’ health, dignity, and education.

This recognition amplifies our mission and validates our ongoing efforts to provide girls with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to stay in school during their periods.

Our initiative to manufacture affordable sanitary pads for schoolgirls is well underway. These pads are more than hygiene products, they are lifelines for education. Every pad distributed ensures that a girl can attend school confidently, comfortably, and safely during her menstrual cycle.

Despite these successes, we are yet to reach our full production goal.

Your support can accelerate this process, helping us produce more pads, reach more schools, and keep girls in class.

Menstrual health is a critical factor in girls’ education:

Period-related absenteeism leads to lost learning opportunities and higher dropout rates.

Lack of access to sanitary products contributes to stigma, shame, and social exclusion.

Access to affordable, high-quality pads empowers girls to focus on learning, leadership, and personal growth.

As aMenstrual Hygiene Day partner, GEM International now has a platform to influence global conversations, advocate for policy, and join a movement that directly benefits girls in Nigeria and beyond.

As we celebrate this milestone, we invite you to stand with us and help us reach our production goal. Your donations will enable us to:

Scale up pad production for thousands more girls

Provide educational sessions on menstrual health and hygiene

Ensure sustainable access to menstrual products in schools

Expand our reach as part of the global MH Day network

The need is urgent. Each contribution brings us closer to a world where no girl misses school because of her period.

Together, we can break barriers, challenge stigma, and keep girls learning, safe, and confident.

With gratitude and determination from all of us at,

Girls Education Mission International Team

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Jun 20, 2025
Impact report of our Menstrual Hygiene Day

By Keturah Shammah | Executive Director

Group photo of Participants

Dear Esteemed Donor and Supporter,

I am thrilled to extend our deepest appreciation to you for standing with us in our mission to empower girls. Your support continues to fuel initiatives that touch the lives of many young girls and boys across our communities and one such powerful initiative is our Menstrual Hygiene Program.

On May 28, World Menstrual Hygiene Day, Girls Education Mission International marked the day with an impactful outreach at NYSC Model High School, Jos, engaging students in meaningful conversations around menstrual health.

With your support, we:

1. Educated over 60 students both girls and boys on menstrual health, breaking the silence and stigma surrounding menstruation.

2. Distributed 60 free sanitary pads, ensuring that no girl has to miss school because of a lack of menstrual products.

3. Shared menstrual bracelets to help girls track their cycles and better understand their bodies.

4. Created a safe space for open, honest conversations that fostered empathy, awareness, and confidence among the students.

Martina, one of the participants, shared:

"I feel happy celebrating menstrual hygiene day. It is important for a girl to celebrate her period because it is a natural process. It is not something to be shy about but to be shared with other ladies, even those who have not started so they can get knowledge from your experience."

I urge you to watch This short video recap to of the day’s highlights and hear the voices of those we reached.

Together, we are creating a #PeriodFriendlyWorld, one where no girl is ashamed of her period, and no girl misses school because of it.

However, we need your continued support now more than ever. At this challenging time for funding cuts, your contributions are vital to sustaining and scaling up this work. Your donation ensures we can reach more girls, provide more sanitary pads, and educate more young people with life-changing knowledge.

With your support, we will keep spreading awareness and supporting girls, because every girl deserves to manage her period with dignity, pride, and confidence.

With sincere gratitude,

Keturah Shammah
Executive Director
Girls Education Mission International

Setting the pad on pants

Girls positive expression after the event

Menstrual awareness session by GEM founding member

The making of bracelet

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Feb 19, 2025
At UN CSW69: We are Presenting Sustainable Model for Keeping Girls in School

By Keturah Shammah | Project Leader

Dear

Warm greetings from Girls Education Mission International.

Your continued support has been invaluable in our mission to keep girls in school through a sustainable model that addresses one of the major barriers to girls’ education, the lack of access to sanitary pads.

Our Support Sustainable Model for Keeping Girls in School project is designed to provide a long-term solution by setting up a sanitary pad production unit. This initiative aims to:

Manufacture quality, affordable, and hygienic sanitary pads to distribute to schoolgirls, ensuring they do not miss classes due to lack of menstrual hygiene products.
Generate revenue to sustain GEM’s broader educational programs, including scholarships and mentorship initiatives.
Create employment opportunities for young women in the community, empowering them with skills and financial independence.

With your support, we have made significant strides in providing free sanitary pads for over 100 girls. However, we are still far away from fully realizing this goal and ensuring that the initiative to set up the manufacturing unit becomes a reality.

At the United Nations – CSW69 Side Event

We are honored to announce that GEM on March 20, 2025, by 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM at the United Nations Church Center, 8th Floor, New York will be presenting at a side event during the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) to discuss the impact of our sustainable approach to girls’ education:

This session, organized in a consortium with other organizations, will showcase how innovative, revenue-generating solutions like ours can break barriers to education and create lasting change.

Your Support is Needed!

While this is an exciting opportunity to share our model on a global stage, we need financial support to ensure GEM International’s physical participation at CSW69. Your donation will help cover travel and logistics, allowing us to advocate for sustainable solutions that keep girls in school.

By making an additional donation to support our journey to the UN, your generosity will help us amplify the impact of this project and bring global attention to menstrual health as a key factor in girls’ education.

You can make your donation https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/help-give-vulnerable-girls-dignity-and-livelihood/

Thank you for your unwavering support in empowering girls through education and sustainable solutions. We look forward to engaging with you further and, hopefully, seeing you at the UN!

With gratitude,
From all of us at
Girls Education Mission International

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