Poverty and lack of awareness of reproductive health among schoolchildren dominated speeches during this year's Menstrual Hygiene Day celebrations in Ndhiwa, Homa Bay County.

Homa Bay is one of the regions that lead in defilement, teenage pregnancies and HIV. Many teenage girls fall prey to men who seek sexual favours in exchange for gifts.

The desire to acquire sanitary towels to preserve menstrual dignity drives many teenagers into motherhood and sexually transmitted infections. Gender activists report that many families are poor, hence cannot afford to buy sanitary towels for their children.

In turn, teenage girls resort to unconventional methods to stop menstrual flow. Some use pieces of cloth, while others take pieces of mattress.

However, some girls try to try other ways of getting sanity towels. This is usually the genesis of their problems. It emerged that some befriend men to help them buy hygiene products.

Later, they offer their bodies to the men as a sign of gratitude. Some exploit the situation to defile learners, leading to high teenage pregnancy rates.

Grim picture

The Kenya National Demographic 2022 health survey puts Homa Bay among the top five in teenage pregnancies, with 23 per cent of teenage girls being expectant mothers.

County health officials now want the national government to sustain supply of sanitary towels to schools to stop the menace. There have been delays by the Education ministry, which is charged with distribution.

During the event held at Okok Secondary School, Deputy Director for health Amos Dulo said supplying sanitary towels to schools is the only solution to the problem.

“If the government can supply us with condoms because of the high HIV burden, it can as well supply sanitary towels to help our girls," he said.

He said the trend in which teenage girls seek antenatal care in hospitals is worrying.

Safaricom Foundation donated sanitary towels to schools within Kanyamwa Kologi. Mr Gilbert Ebole, the foundation's monitoring and evaluation lead, said they have a programme that focuses on material and neonatal health.

Under the programme, they partner with other nongovernmental organisations to help women during pregnancy and postnatal care.

Also read: Granny at 27: The young grandmas of Homa Bay

"We want to help women live in dignity, especially young girls as they engage in their daily activities," Mr Ebole said.

Safaricom donated 1000 dignity kits to schoolgirls. A kit contains three packets of sanitary towels, soap, a menstrual awareness booklet and panties.

The initiative is meant to prevent infections among girls who use other materials to control their menses, thereby promoting beneficiaries’ self-esteem.

"It ensures the girls acquire education. Up to 25 per cent of girls miss classes because of periods and this makes them unable to acquire education," Mr Ebole said, adding Safaricom will help care for girls.

So far, the foundation has distributed at least 800,000 dignity kits to girls in different schools across the country.

Justice denied

Ndhiwa Sub-County Police Commander Paul Rioba raised the red flag that some culprits are colluding with survivors’ families to defeat justice. In some cases, they ensure no one testifies against them.

Mr Rioba said poverty is a major challenge. “Let us all take responsibility to protect our girls because they are our future. We are leading in defilement and teenage pregnancies and this must change because it is not something to be proud of."

County Gender Executive Sarah Malit announced plans by Governor Gladys Wanga’s administration to mentor teenage girls not to fall victims to defilement.

"We educate them not to let anything deter them from achieving their goals. Some teenage girls have been missing school because of menses and this should not happen," she said.

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