- Girls, especially those from pastoralist communities and humble background, have been missing classes over menses as they have no sanitary towels.
By Cheti Praxides
@ppcheti
School girls in Lamu county have received free sanitary towels from the World Vision Organisation to help them stay in class even during their menses.
Lamu Branch World Vision Kenya Education and Child Protection Officer Schollar Mghoi said many school girls especially those from pastoralist communities and humbly backgrounds in Mokowe, Bar’goni, Bobo, Roka, Kibiboni, Kwasasi and other areas of Hindi division have been missing classes every month once they menstruation starts as they have no pads.
“We had to come up with a plan to help these girls stay in school even during that time of the month. Periods should not be a reason for any girl to miss class and as an organisation, we are determined to give them all the necessary support,”said Mghoi.
Girls from the pastoralist communities are worse off as they have to be kept in seclusion once their menses begin and are only allowed out once an older woman confirms that they are done.
School attendance for girls in these group has been low as majority eventually drop out of school altogether owing to the monthly absenteeism.
Mghoi said apart from sanitary towels, the organisation had also distributed panties, soaps and body lotions to enable the girls remain self-sufficient while in school and even at home.
“The essence is to help them not lack such necessities. We don’t want incidents where girls are using alternative measures to get these items including maybe engaging in sexual acts. They will be comfortable both in school and away. They will feel like normal girls,”said Mghoi.
The organisation is equally making similar provisions for teen mothers who became pregnant before and during the Covid-19 period to enable them stay in school.
“Majority of the teen mothers will tell you they got into sex in exchange for something material that they lacked but really needed like soap and pads. We want them to know they still have a chance to go school and make better decisions in future,” she said.
According to World Vision, in Lamu, majority of the sexual predators preying on school girls are boda boda operators and casual labourers at the new Lamu port LAPSSET.
“These girls are needy but as from now, they don’t have to use shortcuts anymore as the organisation is doing everything to provide the necessities,”said Mghoi.
She said the programme whose target is to assist at least 1,000 girls in the region, also seeks to empower the girls with life skills to enable them make the best of decisions at every stage of their lives.
Edited by Sarah Kanyara