More than 500 pupils from Nanga primary school in Kisumu County have benefited from sanitary towels and soaps donated to boost menstrual hygiene.
County first lady Dorothy Nyong’o said the initiative targets to keep the pupils, especially teenage girls in school during their menstrual period.
The donation included reusable and disposable towels and underwear.
The pupils were educated on hygiene during menstruation and sexually transmitted diseases.
Boys were given underwear and soaps while girls received towels, pants and soaps during the world menstrual hygiene day celebrations at the school.
The program funded by women in the water and sanitation sector, Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company (Kiwasco) and Roddenberry saw boys and girls benefit.
Others who supported the initiative are FreshLife, the Kisumu County government and the young women’s Christian Association (YWCA).
Dorothy, who took the opportunity to sensitize the pupils on cervical cancer, called on education stakeholders to support the initiative.
She was accompanied by county executives Beatrice Odongo (sports) and Meryline Agwa (water).
They noted with concern cases of teenage pregnancies among school-going children which needed collaborative efforts to eradicate.
Agwa challenged parents to provide sanitary pads to their daughters to enable girls to stay in school.
She appealed to well-wishers to donate sanitary towels to girls to help keep them in school.
“When the underprivileged girls cannot afford sanitary towels, they tend to turn to young men for towels who end up impregnating them,” Agwa said.
Kiwasco head of corporate affairs Eldah Odongo said the provision of sanitary towels to underprivileged girls was vital in keeping the girls in the school.
She said that the sanitary towels boost the girl’s confidence and when the girl is confident, she can achieve her dreams.
“We are aware that lack of sanitary towels makes girls opt to stay at home during their monthly periods. This is the reason we have initiated the program,” she said.
Odongo noted that the lack of towels force girls to use rags when on their menses thereby exposing them to infections.
She said most parents were unable to afford sanitary towels for their girls due to the current economic hard times.
