Menstruation. One word girls are meant to be familiar with growing up and yet most times its taboo to bring it up. The boys think it’s a disease and your father would have a heart attack if you brought it up. You are forced to ask your mothers, aunts and sisters about it in whispers. This is the way things have been for a while and I will be honest and say something needs to change.
There is a huge gap in educating the public, particularly girls about menstruation. Any talk of it is brief and very uninformative. If what girls are learning today is the same as what I did, more than half of them are left feeling even more confused about their bodies and what menstruation is.
This is where Pad Heaven Initiative comes in with their #What200CanDo campaign. The organization has been donating sanitary pads and panties to girls for 3 years. They now want to take it a step father and break the myth that talking about menstruation is taboo, This is being done through the campaign which seeks to look for funds to publish a booklet for school going girls on Menstruation and Sexual Reproductive Health.
Pad Heaven Initiative’s “Path to Womanhood “ booklet has been developed to help school girls manage menstruation . The booklet is recommended to girls ages of 9 and 14, their parents, guardians and teachers.
Objectives of the booklet:
- To describe the changes that takes places in young girls during puberty
- To explain what menstruation is and why it happens.
- To Provide tips on correct sanitary pads usage and disposal
- To Provide information on pain management during menstruation
- To provide tips on personal hygiene
- Tips to boost self esteem
- Information on HIV and Aids
- Frequently asked Questions regarding menstruation
You can help Pad Heaven achieve their goal by simply donating Kshs. 200 to the cause. This can be done by sending money via M-Pesa to 0711919177. You can also get your friends on board for the campign by talking about it on social media using the hashtag #What200CanDo. Kshs. 200 may not seem like a lot of money, but it’s a lifeline that will give 5 girls access to information on menstruation and help them stay in school.
Pad Heaven are also hoping to do a series of books for older girls and also have a book for young boys growing into manhood.