Girl Child Support and Hygiene club

It is shocking but true that girls in the rural regions of Uganda often use rags, old socks or wads of newspapers to do the job of sanitary napkins. It’s more horrifying to realize that purchasing commercial pads is an impossible dream for most of them, since they come from families of subsistence farmers making about 1 Euro a day in disposable income. 

“Disposable pads cost 1 Euro for an 8-pack,” “If a family has three daughters who need pads, that family would have to spend 20 percent of their income just on menstrual pads. That is not affordable for rural families.

The pad problem is leading girls to stay away from school, fearing that they might stain their clothes and be badgered by boys, eventually, they fall so far behind that they have to drop out. 

Our aim is to be able to help hundreds of girls practice better hygiene while they learn about menstruation, their bodies and women’s health. This will enable them stay in school. 

The RUMPS (Re-Useable Menstrual Pads) project teaches girls to sew locally available toweling into washable pads.  Before they start stitching, they learn about puberty, sex, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.  The School Community facilitators answer questions and encourage honest discussion about matters most of the girls have never considered mentioning in public.

We plan to reach 1500 women and men by the end of November 2014. We would like to reach all the girls in the community using locally available materials such as scissors, bandaged six blisters etc.

This project has a positive response in places where it has been implemented before. People are trying to overcome traditional taboos. We have found that talking about menstrual health has opened the door for other, deeper topics.  We start by talking about body changes then we move on to how a woman becomes pregnant.”

 Sometimes the question-and-answer component of RUMPS sessions does run into cultural roadblocks. Some Ugandans do not want their children to hear about family planning.

 Despite the challenges we are far from being discouraged. “For every five shy Ugandans, there is always one courageous woman who says, “Ladies, let’s talk about the clitoris,” another who asks, ‘Mwalimu, I want to have a healthy family. What can I do?’  People want this information, and we can help them get it.”

A girl child especially is more vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse. The poor economic condition of family, household’s cultural and social practices and prevalence of child marriage are the significant reasons for girls leaving school early, which in turn reduces opportunity. It can also lead to early pregnancy which is a substantial health risk for girls. The health of girls who are sexually exploited is also at high risk as they are more likely to contract life threatening diseases.

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