Menstruation is not only a health concern, but also an educational policy concern because the majority of girls miss out on schools during their menstruation, as they can’t afford to buy the Ksh 150 (USD1.50) disposable sanitary towels.
This past week, a team from Wildlife Works spent time with the Tumaini Women’s Group, a lively and well-organized group consisting of 24 women. This particular visit was focused on teaching the ladies how to make reusable sanitary towels and how to turn them into an income generating activity with the help of Emily Mwawasi, Wildlife Works’ Community Relations Officer.
The women will then transfer this knowledge to schools where young girls need it. The exercise started with general training, including how to sew the reusable pad, how to use it and the importance of maintaining good hygiene.
The women are taught how to make the reusable sanitary napkins by sewing together pieces of towel and cotton scraps. Wildlife Works provides the needles, sewing threads, scissors and any materials needed courtesy of our eco-factory, thereby making something useful out of waste. Using a needle and thread, Emily carefully demonstrates by sewing the first pad. Through this training, the women will be able to pass the knowledge to girls, teaching them how to manage their periods by creating their own sanitary pads using commonly-found materials.
Through the sanitary towel training program, Wildlife Works is stepping in to address school absenteeism as well as empowering women across the project area thereby ensuring they play a significant role in the society.
This is one of the many programs here in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project area that is focusing on women’s empowerment and is made possible thanks to the purchase of carbon credits.
