Help Girls Access Clean Water To Manage Their Periods

Help Us Make Irkisongo Secondary School Period-Friendly This Christmas!

At Irkisongo Secondary School, located in the Monduli district, managing menstrual hygiene is a significant challenge for girls, especially with limited access to water. This school is home to over 2000 female students, primarily from the Maasai community, a group deeply rooted in tradition. In this community, menstruation is often stigmatized, which can affect girls’ attendance and comfort at school.

For the past six months, we have been working in this community to ensure we break the stigma around menstruation. The following are the impacts we have achieved so far:

1. Conducted Stakeholder Engagement Meeting: Recognizing that menstruation is still stigmatized in the Maasai community, we started with a stakeholders' meeting to normalize menstruation and gain community support. Key stakeholders, including teachers, parents, community leaders, and healthcare providers, participated, helping foster understanding and build a foundation of support for the girls.

2. Need Assessment at Irikisongo Secondary School: Following the stakeholders meeting, we surveyed 100 female students at Irikisongo Secondary School to better understand their menstrual health challenges. In this survey, we learned that not only do the students have a lot of taboos regarding menstruation but also the school environment is not period friendly, with a lack of enough water, clean toilets, and products to manage their periods. This information shaped our approach, ensuring that our sessions addressed the girls' specific needs and concerns.

3. Conducted Menstruation Workshops for 100 girls at Irikisongo Secondary School: Based on our needs assessment, we designed tailored sessions to address the specific needs of the girls. These sessions focused on dispelling common taboos and misconceptions about menstruation, empowering them with accurate knowledge, and fostering a positive understanding of their menstrual health.

4. Equipped with pad-making skills: Following the menstrual training, the 100 girls were taught how to make their reusable pads using locally available materials available in our surroundings. Each girl was able to make one reusable pad.

5. Reusable Pad Distribution: On top of the pad-making skills, we distributed 5 reusable pads to each girl, ensuring they have sustainable options for menstrual hygiene.

Our Next Step: Ensuring 24-hour availability of water at Irikisongo Secondary School.

This Christmas season, we are fundraising to buy 5 water tanks for Irkisongo Secondary School. These tanks will provide girls with 24-hour water access in school toilets, helping them manage their menstrual hygiene and making this school a supportive space where they can focus on learning, not on water scarcity.

Why This Matters:

Access to water will enable these girls to effectively use reusable pads, helping them save the cost of buying disposable pads. More importantly, it will empower them to manage their periods with confidence and dignity, allowing them to attend classes without interruption. With reliable hygiene resources, they can focus on their education, leading to improved performance and a brighter future.

Our Fundraising Goal: $2,500/3800 AUD

Each water tank costs $500, and every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to a lasting solution for these girls. Let’s make this Christmas special for them by building a school environment where they feel dignified, empowered, and ready to succeed.

Please join us in making Irkisongo a period-friendly school. Your donation will have a direct and lasting impact, helping young girls in Monduli attend school confidently and comfortably.

Read more about our work through our Website

Thank you for your support!