PadsForPeace

Over the past three months, Sudan has faced severe flooding and heavy rains, particularly in the Toker area of Eastern Sudan, which was one of the most affected regions. This natural disaster led to the displacement of over 37,000 households across Sudan in areas affected by the flood, leaving residents grappling with a humanitarian crisis. Toker experienced the destruction of 2,000 houses, 80% of the market shops were ruined, and tragically, 14 lives were lost.

In response to this dire situation, SIHA, in collaboration with Pad Needed Dignity Seeded (PNDS), took swift action to provide support. As part of our Pads for Peace initiative, we distributed sanitary pads to 400 women and girls in the Toker region, helping address the critical menstrual hygiene needs of this vulnerable population. This response was vital, considering the lack of access to essential hygiene items due to market disruptions caused by the flooding.

These kits provided essential menstrual hygiene supplies, alleviating the challenges faced by displaced women who could not access these items in local markets due to the crisis. The feedback from women and girls in Toker emphasized the critical role that this campaign is playing in addressing a fundamental need during a time of extreme hardship. Many recipients expressed relief, noting that sanitary products had become unaffordable or unavailable in the market.

As the flooding crisis continues to displace families and disrupt livelihoods, the need for menstrual hygiene management and supplies remains urgent. Our immediate goal is to extend our support to an additional 500 women and girls in other affected areas, including Kassala and Sennar, over the next quarter.

To achieve this, we need your continuous support to ensure we can meet the growing demand.

The Pads for Peace project remain a vital component of our ongoing efforts to support women and girls in Sudan during times of crisis. The collaboration with PNDS has enabled us to address the immediate needs in Toker, but the journey to restoring dignity and ensuring access to menstrual hygiene for all displaced women and girls continues.

Stay Connected: For updates and more information:

-          Contact us at: info@sihanet.org

-          Visit our website: www.sihanet.org

-          Follow us on social media

-          Twitter: @Sihanet Facebook: SIHA Network

-          Instagram: sihanetwork

-          YouTube: @SihaNetwork

-          LinkedIn: Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network

Restoring dignity, one pad at a time

• Full Report (PDF)
  

In November 2023, SIHA started a joint campaign along with partners, Sustainable Development Response Organization (SUDRO) and Pad Needed Dignity Seeded (PNDS), to raise funds to provide dignity kits with sanitary pads and other key menstrual hygiene items to women and girls in the conflict areas of Sudan. To carry out this work we collaborated with our staff and partners on the ground in Sudan and partners who have been assisting in both increasing awareness and distributing the dignity kits. Thanks to your generous contributions, we have successfully raised $3,593.94 to date. This funding has enabled us to supply dignity kits to 100 women residing in displacement shelters in Kassala, with plans to extend our support to an additional 400 women across various camps in White Nile, Gadarif, and Northern Sudan within the month.

The impact of your generosity is vividly reflected in the lives of the women and girls we've reached so far, and the continued need for dignity kits is evident in their responses.

"It's a constant struggle to find pads every month, we can't even discuss this issue with other people who come and provide support, they forget it, they just provide food." – Madiha, a 37-year-old displaced from Khartoum

“As girls, we face significant challenges. The cost of pads is often too high for us to afford, especially when our families have lost their sources of income. As a result, we resort to using pieces of cloth as a substitute. However, this presents its own set of problems. Washing the cloth becomes difficult when we live in crowded school environments with limited privacy, water, and soap.” – Nagat, 26-year-old, displaced from Khartoum to El Gezira and then to Kassala.

Your support is the backbone of our campaign. We extend our deepest gratitude to each one of you.

The journey doesn't end here. We invite you to continue this journey with us. Every donation, share, and word of support brings us closer to our goal. Our immediate goal is to extend our reach to an additional 10,000 women and girls by the end of the year. To achieve this, we'll need to raise an additional $75,000. We also aim to enhance our support with menstrual hygiene management/awareness within these communities.

Stay Connected: For updates and more information:

- Contact us at: info@sihanet.org 

- Visit our website: www.sihanet.org

- Follow us on social media

Twitter: @Sihanet Facebook: SIHA Network Instagram: sihanetwork  YouTube: @SihaNetwork LinkedIn: Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network

 Restoring dignity, one pad at a time

• Pads for Peace (#61934) Project Report 1 (03/2024) (PDF)