THE FIGHT AGAINST PERIOD POVERTY
Period Poverty means that women are unable to guarantee themselves an adequate hygiene during their menstrual period, due to economic reasons.
That includes both the impossibility of using sanitary facilities and of using adequate hygienic services.
90% of the women in Kenya’s slums cannot afford hygienic products.
Only 30% of schools in the slums have hygienic services that can be used by girls.
Therefore, during menstrual period girls are forced to stay at home, with the result that they cannot go to school and miss almost one week every month.
Menstruate girls in Kenya miss a lot of lessons.
Due to the lack of proper sexual education, menstruation is still overshadowed by social stigma, causing the woman to isolate herself in shame.
In the Masai areas, for instance, girls after her first menstrual period are destined to marriage, because it is regarded as a transition towards adult age. The consequence may be an early marriage and a consequent early pregnancy, which leads girls to immediately quit school.
Girls living in the slums have the right to deal their menstrual period as peacefully and hygienically as possible.
The first step to help them is very simple: give them sanitary pads.
Sanitary pads bring girls back to school
Alice for Children operates so that girls and little girls in the slums of Nairobi can manage their menstrual periods in a simple and hygienic way, without being forced to miss days of school.
We are committed to let girls be aware of their own bodies and of hygiene, sexual and reproductive implications of having their menstrual period.
TO FIGHT PERIOD POVERTY, WE CARRY ON THESE ACTIVITIES:
- We distribute free sanitary pads to little girls and girls attending our schools in the slums and in the Masai community of Rombo. By doing so, they can manage more easily and more hygienically their menstrual period.
- We equipped our schools’ and orphanages’ restrooms with containers to dispose of sanitary pads.
- We organize counseling, research programs and events to sensitize the community of the slums and Rombo about problems related to menstrual periods and prevention of unwanted pregnancies.
- We offer free gynecological examination for every girl of our schools.
SEXUAL EDUCATION AND BIRTH PLANNING
We are taking care of the needs of our girls in the slums of Nairobi and rural areas concerning sexual problems.
To help them during their menstrual period is just the beginning.
We already gave life to a counseling activity in our schools, for an educational journey that keeps the girls away from contracting STDs and having unwanted pregnancies and to let them be fully aware of what is happening to their bodies.
FIGHT WITH US AGAINTS PERIOD POVERTY IN THE SLUMS OF NAIROBI
A lot of supporters are already making recurring donation to help us support more and more girls.