Afro-Arab Youth Council in partnership with UNSA launched the keep a girl child in school Campaign.

About this Campaign

Adolescence is a crucial stage of life and one that is challenging to most girls because of its physical and psychological changes. One of the major physiological changes in adolescence girls is menstruation. Today in Africa menstruation is not only a healthy concern, but also an educational policy concern and has become a key factor in the African countries’ bid to achieve both the National goal and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education.
Most female students are not able to afford the purchase of sanitary pads. Using other means these girls are left uncomfortable and often unhealthy during their menstrual cycle. This leads to many of them missing school for a few days in each month as they are too uncomfortable or embarrassed to attend. Even if they attend school, they remain distracted and fail to pay attention to their lessons.
Data from the ministry of education revealed girls from poor families’ miss 20% of school days in a year due to lack of sanitary towels. The data indicates that a girl in primary school in between class 6 and 8 can lose up to 18 weeks out of 108 weeks while those in high school can lose almost 24 weeks out of 144 weeks of learning.
As a community organization, we acknowledge that this is a great need and one that needs intervention. Female should be healthy and comfortable during their menstrual cycle and not forced to miss school.
In regard to this situation therefore, we the AAYC  in partnership with UNSA launched the keep a girl child in school Campaign. In this project will giving support of sanitary towel to adolescent girls in rural informal schools, urban slums, orphanages and child care homes in Uganda. The aim of the campaign is to improve their menstrual hygiene and health as well as reduce their discomfort during school days. This will improve their attendance to school and performance as well.

 



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