Promoting Health & Equality Issues in Kenya

First, we would like to thank you  for your  generous support and words of encouragement during our activities in Turkana County, Kenya, including those centering around menstrual care.

Your donations help refugees and local girls in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei districts of Turkana to lead a more stress-free and productive life, especially at that difficult time of the month.   

Below is a rundown of how your invaluable contributions have been put to use.

First, they have supported the construction of a studio for a group of  artisans who produce hand-sewn sanitary products. Until now, these  artisans  have only been able to use rented space, but now they will have their own studio  to more effectively continue their production. 

Construction of the building is complete and we are currently awaiting the arrival of a workbench, chairs, and other furniture. As soon as the workbench is set up, sewing machines and other equipment will be brought in and production will begin. 

Samar, one of the artisan group's members, said, "Until now, we have been working in the training center of another support group, so we could not always use the space when we needed it, nor could we set up our own sewing machines. Now that we have our own atelier, we can concentrate on making fabric sanitary napkins and actively take orders."

Locally, many girls are unable to talk to their parents, teachers, or friends about their menstrual problems and do not know how to deal with them when they experience their first period.  As a result, they are often alone with their problems and cannot go to school during their period.Boys and even male adults often do not know how to treat  girls during this time. 

In an attempt to overcome such issues, a festival was held in November 2022 to let not only school children, but also the entire community know that menstruation is a natural part of life, that there is no need to worry about it, and  if they have any problems, they can consult with trusted adults around them. It was also emphasized that those people around them need to lend support to such girls.

The festival was well attended by girls, boys, and parents and other members of the Kakuma refugee camp and surrounding communities. 

Many teenage girls who do not know why and how menstruation occurs or how pregnancy works, have sexual experiences that result in unwanted pregnancies. With this in mind, the festival featured dances, songs, and skits with the message of understanding one's body and taking care of it for the future.

Your donations also helped with the hosting of other events that were held to coincide with  World Menstrual Hygiene Day.  In addition, a survey was conducted to better understand girls' knowledge, practices, and issues related to menstruation, the results of which will be used to plan and implement future support.

So, as you can see, thanks to your support, a group of sewers has been able to continue their production independently, and the understanding of menstrual hygiene has been promoted to the wider community. 

But there is still much work to be done to provide a safe environment for girls and women, including the provision of water to wash the sanitary napkins being produced by the artisans, and the construction of appropriate changing rooms at schools. With your continued support we will endeavor to carry on our activities with the goal of "enabling women and girls to enjoy  a vibrant life even during their period." 

We will keep you updated on the progress of our activities on the Peace Winds website and  look forward to your continued support.