Menstrual Hygiene talk at
BUHINGA SCHOOL

 25^th May 2021  

(as part of the HAFT Menstrual Stigma campaign)

As part of the HAFT Menstrual Stigma Campaign, a group of HAFT volunteers joined the world in commemorating Women’s Menstrual Day, looking at a typical girl child who experiences her first menstrual period, without any knowledge of menstrual hygiene .

The typical Ugandan girl will usually lack sanitary pads, a wash room, or a place to dispose of used pads. We therefore need to equip our girl with the knowledge of good hygiene practice during her menstrual period.

On the 28th May 2021 volunteers from the HAFT Team visited Buhinga School. This school has the greatest number of pupils in the Rwenzori region. It is located in Fortportal city.
Currently it has 900 pupils, with girls making up the largest portion, there being 574 girls and 326 boys.
The team spoke to 356 girls from ages 9 (nine) to 16 (sixteen) years, teaching them how they should maintain their personal hygiene during their menstrual period, and how to use, and safely dispose of sanitary pads.

Following the talk the team gave out sanitary pads to the girls.

It was noticed that many of the girls found it very difficult to talk about their periods, even to their parent or siblings. This lack of communication and openness increases menstrual stigma among these young girls, possibly even causing them to drop out of school.

This talk was a great success and some of the senior teachers of the school also shared their menstrual experience to these young girls, which was very encouraging and reassuring to these young people. It helped remove some of the fear and stigma surrounding menstrual period disclosure, and encouraged these young people to always tell their parents or guardians about any concerns they might have, as this will promote both their physical and mental well-being.

We, as part of the HAFT team, call upon every parent or guardian of a girl child to make time to sit and share knowledge and to encourage good menstrual hygiene .

We call on all our supporters of this campaign to join us, give a hand , encourage, donate a pad to these young girls. The little support a girl gets in this cause can help her to become a happier, healthier woman in future, and that can have a positive impact on the whole community.

HAFT team volunteers that facilitated this education:
Musabege Rodgers
Karungi Scovia
Byamukama Edward
Ayesiga Immaculate
Abaho Innocent
Bigabwa Julius
Nyenga Godwil
Mbwirahe Emmy
Mutegeki Joshua