The costly price of period poverty: Turkana schoolgirls skip classes
Sanitary pads. Schoolgirls from poor families cannot get regular supply of sanitary pads.
What you need to know:
- These schoolgirls opt to stay at home than feel ashamed because of period poverty.
- The Church Mission Network targeted poor families with free washable sanitary towels that can last five years when well taken care of.
Most girls in public schools in Turkana County who have attained puberty are missing classes because of unreliable and uncoordinated supply of sanitary towels.
The situation is worse for girls from poor backgrounds and in remote areas where they can't afford the pads when on their menses. Such girls opt to stay at home than feel ashamed.
In a spot check at public institutions, teachers confirmed that the national government has yet to provide free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels to every girl who should at least get nine packs of pads per academic year.
The situation is forcing development partners of specific schools for donations with varied interests, with getting those committed to sustainably take up the task for many years being difficult.
In Kataboi Girls Secondary School and adjacent Kataboi Junior Secondary School in Turkana North with a total population of 700 students, for instance, school principal Omaido Robella always reach out to partners and well-wishers to support the girls every term.
Ms Robella says she understands family background of her girls and leaving them on their own to tackle menstrual hygiene is an uphill task that will not only expose them to sex predators and have a negative impact on their future if some of them decide to drop out of school.
“Not all students in the school can afford the sanitary kits because of poor background. Others don't even carry soaps to wash their panties. This is why I am always engaging partners to help.”
She recalled the most successful activity is when the school hosted well-wishers under Arsenal Turkana Chapter and more than six partners through a day’s event dubbed 'Pads for Love'.
On the outskirts of Lodwar town, the Church Mission Network targeted poor families in Natapar Kakono, Nakwamekwi and Kanam Kemer with relief food and free washable sanitary towels that can last for five years when well taken care of.
A parent, Jane Esinyen, said washable sanitary towels was a relief for her as despite being near Lodwar town, she can't afford pads for her two girls when the government delay to supply them as it is in the current situation.
“Without help, my girls have been missing classes for fear of staining their school uniform and being ridiculed. They see themselves as being dirty, unhygienic and impure," Ms Esinyen said.
Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai's wife Lillian Ekamais stressed the need for coordinated distribution of sanitary towels so that no girl is disadvantaged.
At Lodwar Mixed Primary school, with support from partners, she distributed 2,300 dignity kits, 2,600 packets of disposal pads and 550 reusable pads, and other items to support schoolgirls.
Ms Ekamais challenged partners to not only target schools within major towns but also reach out to border schools on Kibish and Turkana East as well as prioritise menstruation education as its negligence has led to infections among girls.
County Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health Cathra Abdi regretted that stigma surrounding menstruation and a lack of sanitary pads had affected and forced girls to leave school.
She announced that her department would map out committed partners for strategic provision of sanitary towels across the county and raise awareness of menstrual health hygiene among adolescent girls.
Teachers, especially in secondary schools with high enrolment of girls, called on the government and development partners to install incinerators for hygienic disposal of used menstrual clothes and sanitary towels.
