Wajir to supply Sh40m dignity kits to schoolgirls
Sanitary towels. It is estimated that 65 per cent of women and girls in Kenya cannot afford sanitary pads.
What you need to know:
- The project, led by Mama Rukia Abdinasir, will provide sanitary towels and undergarments.
- It is being done through the Department of Education, Social Welfare and Family Affairs.
It was all smiles for the girl-child as Mama Rukia Abdinasir, Wajir governor's wife, launched a free dignity kits project targeting schoolgirls.
Mama Rukia will provide Sh40 million worth of sanitary towels and undergarments. The project, first introduced in the 2015/16 financial year by Governor Ahmed Abdullahi during his first term, is being done through the Department of Education, Social Welfare and Family Affairs.
The initial allocation of Sh10 million has since been increased to Sh40 million. The initiative aims to allow needy girls to attend school regularly rather than miss classes during their menses.
Effects of period poverty
Speaking at the official launch, Mama Rukia pointed out that lack of access to basic sanitary products leads to poor school attendance, withdrawal, low self-esteem, and missed opportunities.
“There is no reason for needy girls to miss school because of menses for four to five days every 28 days (month), thereby losing three weeks of learning every school term to a lack of sanitary towels, which compounds low productivity,” she said.
She expressed hope that the initiative will foster girls’ dignity and self-esteem, thereby encouraging their enrolment and retention in schools.
“This noble initiative is primarily aimed at retaining our adolescent girls in schools while restoring their dignity and protecting their self-esteem.”
Mama Rukia urged parents to invest in their children’s education to help them become influential people in the future.
Also present were county assembly members; County Executive Committee members, led by Ahmed Mohamed Wardere (Education, Social Welfare and Family Affairs); chief officers; officials from the Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers; and Mama Nuria Abdullahi, the wife of Wajir senator.
