This project will engage/train 100 men including district policymakers, traditional cultural & religious leaders, sector/departmental heads and 40 boys on menstruation management as sexual reproductive health & its importance to girls education in Buvuma Islands by June 2020. This will increase their knowledge, attitude & practice on menstruation thus increased access to hygienic menstrual materials, scholastic materials that'll reduce school absenteeism, dropout, child marriage & pregnancies.
In Buvuma Menstruation continues to be a taboo, stigmatizing & fostering a sense of shame in many girls. A 2017 report by Build Africa showed that in Buvuma alone 2-3 out of 5 girls miss 3-4 school days per menstrual cycle because they cannot afford sanitary towels while an estimated 800 girls contemplate dropping out of school annually. This prevents them from actively engaging in their classes & communities during their periods, thus limiting their opportunities and mostly married off young.
Men & boys are usually left out on issues of menstruation. This makes them continue to practice poor traditions & myths on girls when they start their periods. This project will involve training, sensitization, and advocacy on menstrual health/hygiene management (MHM), its impact on education, local pads making to increase accessibility by vulnerable girls. Fathers will be able to provide menstrual hygiene materials for girls and support them to remain in schools than marrying them off young.
The rural men, women, adolescent boys & girls in & out of school will have improved Knowledge, Attitude & Practice (KAP) on menstrual hygiene management (MHM), its impact on girls' education & will support girls to remain in school. There will be increased access to hygienic menstrual materials like re-usable/disposable pads, buckets, soap, and menstrual cycle beads/booklets. This will reduce the frequent absenteeism, school dropout & early marriages by the girls in primary & secondary schools.
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