Empower Homa Bay Girls: End Period Poverty

The Global Agency for Community Acceleration, (GACA), is a registered Community Based

Organisation (CBO) with the Ministry of Labour & Social Protection in Kenya. GACA

believes that young people, both male and female, have a crucial role to play in the social,

cultural, economic and political development of their communities. If enabled and

empowered, the current generation of young people has the capacity to play a key role in

seeking sustainable solutions for challenges affecting the community. GACA aims to

empower, mobilise and equip young people with the knowledge and skills that will enable

them to actively engage in community development, especially at grassroots level.

GACA operates in Homa Bay County in the West of Kenya. Homa Bay has a population of

circa 1.12 million, split almost exactly evenly between men and women. Poverty levels in

the area are high, with a reported 48% living below the poverty line – only 5.6% of

households have access to piped water and just 1.1% have access to sewer or septic

systems. Homa Bay’s HDI (Human Development Index) is 0.573, which is in some of the

lowest tiers nationally. Only 17% of residents have an attained a secondary level of

education.

In many rural and underserved communities, menstruation is not just a biological experience—it is a deeply painful and isolating crisis for countless girls.

Imagine being a young girl full of dreams, attending school with hopes of building a better future. Then imagine being forced to miss 3-5 days of school every single month, not because you're ill, but simply because you're having your period and you can't afford sanitary pads. That’s up to 150 days of missed learning every year—more than a full month of lost education.

Now imagine the alternatives these girls are forced to use—old rags, newspapers, tissue, or even plastic shopping bags. These are not safe. They are not dignified. They are not acceptable. Yet for many girls, this is their monthly reality. And it doesn't stop at discomfort or inconvenience. It strips away their confidence. It causes shame. It leaves deep emotional scars. They sit quietly in classrooms, fearful of leaks, teased by peers, too embarrassed to participate. Over time, their self-esteem plummets. Their academic performance suffers. Many give up altogether.

This is what period poverty looks like.

The Menstrual Hygiene Support and Campaign Project is our bold response to this silent emergency. We are working to ensure that no girl is held back by something as natural and manageable as menstruation. Our project provides not just sanitary pads, but also comprehensive education on menstrual health, hygiene, self-awareness, and confidence-building. We want girls to feel proud, not ashamed. To stay in class, not skip school. To excel, not fall behind.

But we cannot do it alone.

We need your help to reach more girls, especially those in the most vulnerable conditions. Your donation will help us supply essential menstrual hygiene kits and create safe spaces for these young women to be educated, empowered, and uplifted. Every contribution, no matter the size, is a powerful step toward ending period poverty.

Let’s break this cycle. Let’s restore dignity. Let’s help girls rise—confident, educated, and free.

Give today. Change a life forever.