Mama Ibado Charity(MIC) and Kakamega Forest Heritage Foundation have announced plans to expand sanitary towel donation to other counties to significantly reduce the number of girl children missing out classes during their menstrual cycle.
It is estimated that more than 1 million girls stay out of schools due to lack of access to sanitary pads, significantly hurting their overall performance in class work in Kenya.
The two Charity organisations are now looking at expanding the initiative in Kakamega County and reach out to other county schools where most girl children are forced to stay home during their menstrual cycles.
“Sanitary pads donation is our flagship programme and we will see how best we can scale it across the county. The challenge is widespread in Kakamega and even other counties,” said Mama Ibado Charity Founder, Ahmed Jibril.
The partnership committed a year long sanitary towel and undergarment donation to keep 361 girl children in three high schools in Kakamega County including Lugala Secondary school where the event took place.
“Today we are here to support the girl child. Their plight was brought to our attention by Kakamega Forest Heritage Foundation and we said we will be partners to support the initiative,” said Jibril, also the chairman of Fly 748, a key partner of the initiative through Mama Ibado Charity.
Kakamega Forest Heritage Foundation Chairman Dr Johnson Murilla said the feat will boost girl child performance in education.
“Our Plea to you is that you put your best foot forward. We want you to be perfect. We want you to be the best you can be so that when we leave the stage we have people of substance not only from Lugala Secondary but all of Shinyalu, Isukha and elsewhere,” said Dr. Murilla.
Mama Ibado Charity Director, Sinclair Geraldine challenged school teachers to dispel the myth that periods are not an illness, a sickness or a disease but a gift that makes us fertile and allows us to get life as she expressed pride on the impact of the donation drive.
“I wasn’t aware of the problem that girls face here and it is very disheartening. But I am so proud to hear that girls have been excelling as a result of this programme because it speaks about its value. I am so honoured to be here and pray that this initiative continues and the number of girls who do not go to school full time goes down,” said Geraldine.