Youth-Led NGO Donates Reusable Sanitary Pads to Malawi School to Help Girls Stay in Class
Doneta Kadakwinda, a Standard Seven learner who benefited from the initiative, stated that the sanitary pads are unaffordable for her and many others at the school.
Malawi: Maphunziro Movement Trust (MMT), a youth-led non-governmental organization based in Chinsapo, Lilongwe, has donated reusable sanitary pads to students at Malili Primary School in Traditional Authority (TA) Malili, on the outskirts of Lilongwe, writes Benson Kamonjola.
According to Memory Msatilomo, the communications officer for MMT, the organization began distributing the pads last year in response to reports of challenges faced by girls, including high absenteeism and dropouts due to a lack of access to sanitary materials.
Msatilomo stated, "As youth from this community, we felt the pain of learning that a number of girls could not afford sanitary pads. This has been making a number of girls evade classes during menstruation week, affecting their performance and resulting in dropouts."
Bevy Maikolo, the head teacher of the school, praised the initiative as timely and sustainable for girls from poor families, stating, "It is our hope that with these materials, girls will be in class at all times, including during their week of menstruating. Such initiatives, while small, is very key to boosting the performance of girls."
Doneta Kadakwinda, a Standard Seven learner who benefited from the initiative, stated that the sanitary pads are unaffordable for her and many others at the school.
She explained, "With these washable and reusable pads, we will improve our hygiene and be able to stay in class comfortably, unlike before when we had to sneak out and go home to change clothes and pants."
MMT has appealed to other stakeholders to assist in reaching more girls in other areas, as financial constraints limit the organization's ability to reach a wider audience.
In Malawi, 80% of the population lives in rural areas, with many spending less than a dollar per day.
It is in these areas that a majority of underprivileged girls can be found.
Currently, only inmates in the country's prisons have access to free sanitary pads, following an allocation of K30 million to increase the Malawi Prison Service's health budget.