Girls get free pads on global day to celebrate menstrual hygiene
Christian Best Camps of Kenya Pad Centre staff and other participants lead a procession in Nairobi to mark the World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
For Hellen, 13, a Grade Six pupil at St John Primary School in Kibra, it was hell during her periods since her parents could not afford sanitary pads, due to abject poverty.
The situation was the same for her classmate Vivian, 12, who even missed classes during her periods. She says shame and stigmatisation affected her studies.
As the world celebrated Menstrual Hygiene Day on Sunday, these are some of the heartbreaking tales of thousands of young girls in informal settlements.
However, things have since changed for Hellen and Vivian as they are among thousands of girls who are beneficiaries of free pads from Christian Best Camps of Kenya (CBCK) Pad Centre.
The Non-Governmental Organisation serves many young girls and women not only in Kibera but even in Mathare and its environs, Kisumu and Isiolo Counties.
CBCK, according to CEO Erick Simba, has made it a tradition to distribute single use and reusable sanitary towels in partnership with US-based Days for Girls Organisation.
Christian Best Camps of Kenya Pad Centre staff and other participants lead a procession in Nairobi to mark the World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Mr Simba called on the government and other organisations to ensure sanitary pads are also accessible to young girls in the rural areas where the issue is still a challenge due to high poverty levels.
The pad centre in Kibra serves an average of 400 women a week and also sends sanitary towels to schools and organisations in need for free.
The issuance of free pads has also helped curb teenage pregnancies in Kibra since many young girls were often lured into pre-marital sex by men.
According to Unicef, around 1.8 billion people worldwide menstruate every month. Unicef has also been keen in dealing with menstrual hygiene and fighting harassment, stigma and social exclusion among adolescent girls.
