#EndPeriodPoverty for Girls in Rural Zimbabwe

Kanyemba Village is located in the Mazowe District in Chiweshe, Mashonaland Central Province of Zimbabwe. The active economic activities in the area include agricultural crop production and small-scale mining activities. Talia identified both Kanyemba Primary and Secondary Schools to benefit from the sanitary pad drive through the #EndPeriodPoverty campaign which has been running since 2020.

Lack of sanitary wear is one of the major reasons why adolescent girls miss school in the rural areas (32.5%) according to a formative research on menstrual hygiene which was conducted by UNICEF Zimbabwe in 2020.

A Menstrual Health & Hygiene outreach workshop was conducted for 374 girls at both the primary and secondary schools. The initial discussions started around sexual reproductive health and rights. The students were taught about the changes that happens in a girl’s body when they reach puberty and what they meant. The discussion also focussed on the myths and taboos surrounding menstruation. Culturally, menstruation is not a subject that is discussed at family level, hence most adolescent girls do not have a platform to discuss such pertient issues and are unable to cope with the changes in their bodies or any discomforts or irregular periods.

The girls were also educated about the home and medical remedies to manage period pain and were informed of the symptoms they should watch out for and when they should seek medical attention. One objective of the session was to start the conversation on menstruation and break the silence on the subject that is evident in most rural communities.

All the girls received reusable cloth pads, which are cost effective, hygienic and will be reused by the girls for up to 18 months, with proper care.