Re-useable Feminine Hygiene Kits for School Girls in Kenya
Surrey, BC – Can you imagine not being able to go to school because there are no menstrual products to be had? This is the case in many places in Nairobi, Kenya as well as many other countries around the world.
The women of Soroptimist International of Surrey/Delta did not let the pandemic stop them from continuing to improve the lives of women and girls.
The club recently shipped 420 feminine hygiene kits to their sister club in Nairobi who will distribute the hygiene supplies to schoolgirls in Kenya. The kits are handmade and contain a drawstring bag with 8 washable/re-useable pads, 2 pad holders, 2 pairs of panties and a facecloth/bar of soap.
This is in response to Soroptimist International of Nairobi Central’s commitment to educating girls and women on menstrual hygiene management and sourcing for sanitary kits for needy girls. The project aims to foster gender-equitable environment that supports girl’s menstrual health and school attendance.
During the menstruation hygiene sessions, violence prevention, conflict and parent-child communication skills are demonstrated to foster strong relations between pupils, parents and teachers.
No more period shame!
“I now feel confident to come to school every day, I am not afraid of menstruation shame like it happened to one of the girls in my class.
She has never come back to school after the ridicule by boys when her dress was messed with blood stains.” said Njeri, a class 8 pupil after receiving her feminine hygiene kit. Providing the hygiene kits to Nairobi students was the first step in the project.
The next step is to teach women in Kenya how to sew the kits, and by working hand-in-hand with Nairobi, the Surrey-Delta Soroptimists are helping to empower girls to ensure uninterrupted school attendance for all girls’ even during the dreaded menstruating days.
Founded in 1921, Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement with a network of 72,000 club members in 121 countries. The Soroptimist mission is to transform the lives and status of women and girls through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities.
Soroptimist International President Sharon Fisher, and member of Soroptimist International of the Langleys, says, “The stories we can tell about our collective impact on the lives of women and girls across the globe, will find us in the company of many who are inspired to learn and support our mission. We can be the messenger that brings the complex global issues into focus and aligns them with the programme work of our Federations and clubs.”
Should you be interested in our local Surrey/Delta club or want to make a donation towards the hygiene kit project, we would love to hear from you – contact Karen at karen@coldfirecanada.com or visit our website at www.soroptimistsurrey-delta.org (check out our YouTube channel link for some videos of our activities) and learn more about who we are and what we do in our local community and throughout the world.
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