Launch at Kireka Rehabilitation Centre
Written by Stella Baliliya (regional Program Coordinator East Africa)
On the 16th February, 2023, BLI Global’s team was at Kireka Rehabilitation Center to launch their wonderful project Pepr Campaign with Pepa which is a menstrual hygiene management awareness campaign. We decided to engage persons with disabilities in our launch because we realized this group of marginalized people is left out in some of the programs carried out by different organizations.
With our pepa pads our team donated 60 pepa pads to this group of people. Girls with disabilities are being left out in regard to empowering them with skills on menstrual hygiene management. They were very excited to receive us in their school and also to share with us the challenges that they face during menstruation. The girls shared with us that they face many challenges accessing menstrual products and they end up using cloths, cotton wool or even toilet paper (tissue) since they cannot afford these products on their own. They already go through discrimination with the families and communities they live in which makes them lose self-esteem and confidence to ask their guardians or parents for money for sanitary products hence keeping it to themselves and waiting until they provide and if not they use any available cloth in their reach to manage their periods.
But as the pepr team we say NO to such discrimination as everyone matters in the family and community. We encouraged them to raise their voices and SAY NO TO PERIOD STIGMA. We also empowered them with skills on how to make the reusable pads themselves which they can easily sell and earn money as well.
We were able to train 20 girls and 10 boys. All these people are living with physical impairments including the deaf, motor impairments, hydrocephalus, spina bifida and spinal code injuries using wheelchairs. We managed to get a sign language interpreter who helped to communicate with everyone smoothly such that they get the information.
#breakethesilence #nomoretaboo #endperiodstigma
In conclusion, I would like to thank the management of Kireka Rehabilitation Centre and the students who availed us the platform to launch our campaign and the audience. I would also like to thank my team that I work (volunteer) with who worked tirelessly to ensure that the launch was a success.
I would like to sincerely appreciate our donors BLI Global and Data4WASH for funding our project and supporting us to empower girls with skills in menstrual hygiene management.
FEEL SAFE, FEEL FREE
