Donate sanitary pads to 8400 schoolgirls in Uganda

Not her name (Isabella). Isabella sat in the corner of the class while her fellow young girls were busy receiving packages of sanitary pads

After a while UYSTO field officer intervened and asked the teacher what about the other child? she has missed. And the teacher said um um and rushed to her and asked what was going on with Isabella. She busted and cried, her cry captured everyone's attention, all gazed at her in silence.

In spite of Isabella eyes full of tears, she was able to say these words " I know we could be a burden from the bottom of the hearts of all those people who donate for supporting us acquire such services in order for us to stay in schools and be of great value to our country in the future. Yes, it is a burden for sure, on the behalf of my class send our appreciation to all those having sleepless nights in order to make sure that a one girl far away from their homes can stay in school. " She further mentioned that one of the UYSTO field officer who always while in the menstrual hygiene training sessions, mentions that dignified menstruation is a driver to promoting girl child's success everywhere in the world. And Isabella not being far away from the field officer's statements, Isabella complimented the statement by saying that dignified menstruation should be everyone's responsibility and a right for everywhere in the world. 

She membered the time when her friend dropped out of school due to finding stigma of using rugs as menstrual materials and when she used to hide during the time of visiting the washrooms. She requested for a continuous awareness to not only the girl child but the entire school society. That this creates a strong bonded society pursuing the same goal of attaining a dignified menstruation everywhere, where everyone is responsible with the phenomena 

On the behalf of the UYSTO team, we too appreciate you all our beloved donors of this project, we know we are in the hard economies everywhere but above all you think about us.

We thank GlobalGiving for having been able to trust us and extend our project from $4000 to an increment of $16,000. We shall be monthly supporting 700 young people with sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene management training sessions, keep supporting us to achieve this together as you have been able to support us raise $4000 in the previous project. 

Surprisingly, when senior woman tried to separate the girls from the main class such that they go to attend menstruation hygiene management education and sanitary distribution activity, Ronald, one of the boys in the class raised up the hand and asked why such education and activity always isolate them as pupils of the same class.

The teacher told him that, these are for women not men. Ronald confidently replied that " I believe if we are to have dignified menstruation as I always read on some articles, such segregation of girls from boys whenever such activity time comes, will not have the nation achieve this". To us as the project leaders and the school coordinators, this really challenged us, sparked a 20-minute discussion before the activity commencing, but eventually, we all agreed to always involve the boy child in such activities.

From the Ronald's argument, we have realised that for sustainability purposes, the two sexes need to be together to challenge the period poverty issues, women alone, civil society actors and the government cannot alone achieve this but the entire society if responsible can play a vital role in achieving it. 

Both boys and girls attended the menstrual hygiene management lessons and menstrual products distribution and all celebrated together. This act showed us that even when it comes to supporting women with access to securing sanitary pads, through after attending and acquiring knowledge in this joint education meet ups, it will be a combined effort in addressing the period poverty challenges holistically, reducing on the women burden in the future.

The exercise reached 80 girls who directly took home the packages of sanitary pads and 101 pupils with menstrual hygiene management awareness education.

They all appreciated UYSTO, GlobalGiving and all those individual donors who have always fought hard to make sure that they stay in schools with all what is needed for a safe learning environment.

 It’s unfortunate that the project is soon ending, and putting all the efforts to the organization’s sustainability plan of constructing the its own premises and vocational training centre for the targeted population of the young people and teenage mothers. Hoping that, at that stage when UYSTO has its own premises, it will be able to channel the current renting funds to supporting the poor urban school undergoing girl child with sanitary pads.

I recommend that once we are done with this project, of course which is soon ending, our current and new donors, support us to kick start the construction of the youth vocational skills training centre