Support underprivileged girls with pads, US beauty queen asks Kenyans

Kenyans of good will have been urged to spare few coins and help stock sanitary towels in public schools to help girls from poor families.

Visiting US beauty queen Keerah Yeowang, the reigning Miss Midwest Galaxy, 2024, said many girls face a number of challenges during their menstrual periods, thus, the need to give them assistance.

Keerah is in the country for a series of campaigns ahead of Galaxy International beauty pageant in August.

"If anyone has the means to give back, there is no reason not to help the poor people," she said.

Lack of sanitary pads has seen many girls miss school during their menstrual cycle.

In select cases, some girls have been sexually exploited in exchange for money to buy pads, with others ending up pregnant.

Keerah said there is much joy in giving back to society in any way.

“You need not have much to donate, the little you give will go a long way in bringing a smile to the faces of these young girls,” she said.

Keerah visited the Kodiaga prison family, where she donated pads to girls at the Kodiaga Prison Primary School and inmates at the Kodiaga Women Prison.

At the school, she was thrilled with the enthusiasm exhibited by the pupils who hailed her for the gesture to come to their aid.

The school’s deputy head teacher Prisca Oloch said girls at the school find it difficult to concentrate in class during their menstruation.

In some instances, girls have dropped out of school after being shamed by boys whenever they soil their clothes and have nowhere to clean up.

 Oloch said the government is giving out pads to schools but they are not enough and asked for more support from well-wishers.

“The school can receive pads for the girls twice in a year but with the high number of girls in need of the pads, it is not enough. Girls can sometimes attend their menstrual cycle twice in a month, which calls for many pads,” she said.

Keerah is the daughter of Apostle Dr Andre Patrice Carter, who through her foundation, has supported Kodiaga Women Prison to set up a children’s education Centre.

The girls decried low number of rest rooms in the school and asked the foundation to assist them get two-door latrines.

“Girls are very special, we lack enough latrines where they can even change their pads when in need,” deputy head teacher said.

Keerah also met young mothers who are being trained in cake making in Manyatta slums.

Maureen Odera, who runs Modesha bakery in Manyatta, said she is training young women and men to empower them economically.

Her intention was to show them the way, to learn from her on how to bake cakes and start a small business to dissuade them from deviance into criminal acts such as drug addiction.

“My goal is now to help other women to be like me, so that they can start their own businesses and become successful,” she said.

She gave gratitude to Keerah for showing up to offer a word of encouragement to young women and men at her bakery shop.