Description and Objectives of the Activity

As the rest of the world has moved towards having healthier and safe menstruation alongside embracing the fact that periods are normal, the narrative is different in Uganda’s slum communities.

This menstrual hygiene activity’s target was to address this concern in the Kasokoso slum community of Kampala. The activity targeted schools since it has the most vulnerable victims of menstrual poverty and menstrual stigma.

Prior to the activity, we held a pilot study and realized that the girls did not just need sanitary products but also the entire student body needed actual menstrual information. They had so many negative myths that are a danger to a menstruating girl. So despite the small budget we decided to target a big number of students from 3 schools aged 10-17 and held menstrual information sessions with them, mind-sets were changed and we hope it will address the stigma concerns.

The project was made up of two activities:

• Information and guidance session with the girls and the boys in different rooms.
• Distribution of sanitary pads to the girls.

The girls were guided on how to manage their menstrual hygiene and the boys were taken through what menstruation is and the aspect of stigma and its negative impacts on the girls. The girls given pads were properly selected by the senior women teachers who identified the girls already menstruating and would need them.

All students were given candy and those in lower primary biscuits. The most active students were awarded watches to demonstrate to them that hard work and standing out in life are rewarded.

Very brief sessions were held with the school authorities on how to help the girls during this time and it was observed that they were not being very supportive however they committed to ensuring that they break the menstrual stigma in their schools.

The directors and head teachers of the schools were very pleased and look forward to the next project.

While on board we also noticed many other pressing needs in that community, like lack of proper early childhood education centres, environmental concerns, poor sanitation, and extreme poverty. We hope to address one of these when possible.

The team was made up of 7 members including a photographer who volunteered his services for the good cause. The team was very supportive and efficient.

Key Results

• Increased knowledge on menstrual hygiene
• Increased knowledge on menstrual stigma and the need to stop it
• Distribution of sanitary pads
• Commitment by the school staff to ensure that girls are comfortable and safe during their periods

Observations and Lessons Learned

• Many of the girls stigmatize themselves due to periods because they think it’s a bad thing
• The younger girls had little or no knowledge about menstruation meaning that they could unexpectedly experience them and get very scared
• The students have very negative perspectives on periods
• The girls who haven’t experienced periods yet fear it due to the myths concerning it
• The girls can’t afford sanitary pads because they are so expensive. 47% of Uganda’s population lives below the poverty line meaning they can live above a dollar in a day yet sanitary pads cost above one dollar so this makes access hard for them
• The boys had so many questions about periods and many didn’t find it normal
• Most girls were shy to admit that they experience periods
• At the end of the session, the girls were more confident to embrace periods and the young ones were less scared
• The teachers were supportive and ready to help the girls
• The school environment was not very learning-friendly since they lacked so many essential things

Emerging Issues and Action Points