Reproductive Health Cameroon Project #57094

PADS AND TRAINING FOR 250 GIRLS IN BAMENDA.

by Integrated Agricultural Association (I.A.A)

Project Report | Oct 12, 2026
Breaking the silence in Menstrual Hygiene!

By Dungrila Pascal Mbimenyuy | Project Leader.

Menstrual hygiene is often treated as a girls’ and women’s issue. But at Integrated Agricultural Association, we believe boys should be part of the conversation, because they are classmates, brothers, friends, and future fathers, husbands, teachers, and community leaders.

A boy who understands menstruation is less likely to tease a girl when she stains her uniform. He can respond with empathy instead of embarrassment, and he grows into a man who supports the women and girls around him. Ending menstrual stigma cannot be the responsibility of girls and women alone. The conversation belongs to all of us.

This is why, during the hygiene and sanitation training sessions we conduct through our clean water program, we create safe, inclusive spaces for girls and boys, women and men, to learn and ask questions together. We are not simply teaching biology. We are building community empathy.

One of the recent developments we are proud of in our work at IAA is how our clean water projects are paired with improved sanitation facilities. Alongside the VIP latrines we are constructing in learning institutions, particularly in rural communities, we design a dedicated Menstrual Hygiene Management room. It may look like a simple addition to a school, but to a girl who is menstruating, it carries a profound message: her needs were considered, her privacy matters, and she deserves dignity.

We dream of the day when every school will be fully equipped with reliable water and dedicated MHM facilities, so that menstruation never becomes a reason for a girl to stay home. Imagine a girl waking up on the morning of an important examination and discovering that her period has started. Instead of thinking, “I cannot go to school today,” she knows her school has a clean water source, a VIP latrine, and a private MHM room. She gets ready, goes to school, sits for her examination, and continues learning. Her period does not decide her future.

That is the future we are actively building at Integrated Agricultural Association (IAA) for girls. Want to support us do more, you are welcome to make a donation today or become our monthly donor.

With gratitude!

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Oct 27, 2025
Why Sanitation and Menstrual Dignity in Schools should be Promoted!

By Dungrila Pascal Mbimenyuy. | I.A.A Director/Project Leader.

Integrated Agricultural Association (IAA) has been work with girls and young women since 2017, creating awareness about sexual and reproductive health, child marriage and female genital mutilation, aimed at empowering young people to make informed decisions about their bodies and relationships as well as challenging harmful cultural norms and stereotypes.

IAA recently designed a new initiative to increase access to reproductive health information among medical students and the women of Bamenda. This initiative was developed after a number of single female medical students became pregnant because of a lack of understanding about family planning.

Through this initiative, IAA set-up workshops throughout Bamenda with different groups of individuals in order to discuss reproductive health, and address the questions of the participants. The workshops involved medical students (one for male students and one for female students), sex workers, and local communities. For each workshop, every effort was made to make the participants feel that they were in a safe environment.

All workshops started with an open question session to answer the sexual health questions of all participants. In addition to these workshops, radio talk shows were held in local languages, which also included a call-in question and answer session.This initiative demonstrates the success of projects that are designed and implemented by local partners. The workshops and radio talk shows were extremely well-received within the community, and as a result, will continue until 2030.

In rural communities of Cameroon, there is a wide gap in accessing sexual and reproductive health tools/materials and information amongst vulnerable girls.To save themselves from shame and at times social exclusion, most young girls in rural areas will do anything to stop the blood flow, from using leaves and hides to rags and newspapers, consequently exposing themselves to a myriad of infections related to poor hygiene. The most destitute individuals don’t use anything at all and opt to isolate themselves from school and society altogether. This is further perpetuated by the fact that most rural schools have meager sanitation facilities, access to water, toilets, and waste facilities, which are all necessities for girls going through their cycles.

Efforts need to be doubled from local to global in order to close this gap and keep girls in school during menstruation period. They need continued education to understand that menstruation is a natural process and not a disease, support them with sanitation materials to reduce menstrual trauma. With your monthly or one time donation today, through GLobalGiving, we will be able to achieve all these goals.

With gratitudes!

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May 5, 2025
Highlighting Impact!

By Dungrila Pascal Mbimenyuy. | I.A.A Director/Project Leader.

Integrated Agricultural Association (IAA) aims to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights amongst under-served communities of Cameroon by providing menstrual hygiene education and empowerment for vulnerable girls.

However, because over 70% of Cameroon’s population lives on less than a dollar a day, it is virtually impossible for most women to afford a consistent supply of pads at current pricing and distribution channels. It is estimated that less than 5% of the girls and young women who need a regular supply of sanitary pads can afford them. Lack of access to sanitary pads has contributed greatly to the disempowerment and disgrace of many young girls who are often unfairly subjected to judgment by a society that perceives menstruation as a socially undignified act.

To save themselves from shame and at times social exclusion, most young girls in rural areas will do anything to stop the blood flow, from using leaves and hides to rags and newspapers, consequently exposing themselves to a myriad of infections related to poor hygiene. The most destitute individuals don’t use anything at all and opt to isolate themselves from school and society altogether. This is further perpetuated by the fact that most rural schools have meager sanitation facilities, access to water, toilets, and waste facilities, which are all necessities for girls going through their cycles.

IAA is committed to addressing challenges to sexual and reproductive health in under-served communities by improving access to sexual and reproductive health information, access to quality services, addressing social and cultural barriers and strengthening health systems. This include expanding access to family planning and contraception, preventing sexual and gender based violence such as child marriage and female genital mutilation and gender inequality, increasing access to comprehensive sexuality education, promoting open communication and reducing stigma and discrimination.

Your continued support ensures that we continue to advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights, which will enable us break all the barriers and achieve all these goals. Thank you for your donation today.

With Gratitude!

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