Break the cycle of poverty and disease in Kenya

For Kenyan girls and women, menstruation can be a major disruptor to school attendance due to a lack of resources and availability of feminine hygiene products. Combined with limited information about reproductive and self-care options, school-age girls may even drop out due to the emotional stress of being on their period. Yet research shows that when girls remain in school and complete their education, they can break the cycle of poverty and lift their families out of poverty. To ensure that no girl is left behind in SOTENI Village of Hope (SVH)-Mituntu, which has reported high rates of female absenteeism and dropouts, we partner with a program designed to keep girls in school year-round: the Freedom for Girls (FFG) Project.

In 2022, Dr. Ellen Bowman, a SOTENI Board Member, traveled to Mituntu Mixed Day Secondary School (MMDSS) to inaugurate the FFG Project, currently supporting 113 female students. FFG combines a puberty education event with distribution of sanitary towels so that girls can understand their bodies and navigate their education with confidence. Dr. Bowman presented large posters with visuals while local, female speakers encouraged students to open up for a Q&A session about menstruation, reproductive rights, and relationships.

After the puberty education event, the FFG Project requires schools to store packets of sanitary towels and underwear and appoint a teacher to distribute a packet to each girl every month. MMDSS’ Principal states that the project is “a timely intervention to ease the financial burden of purchasing sanitary towels for female students and their families.” Dr. Bowman hopes to renew the project this fall and plans to utilize older girls who participated last year to help the younger students overcome their shyness.