GirlPower Gulu: Reproductive Health
Donation protected
My name is Laura Dooley and my friends, Franny Lail and Addie Lynch, and I, are all students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During the months of June and July 2018, we are living in Gulu, Uganda and are working for a non-profit organization, Hope Center Uganda (HCU). HCU provides afterschool classes to students, ages 4-16, to enhance their English skills, promote their creativity, and educate them about reproductive health.
Throughout the years, Sub-Saharan Africa, especially the Northern region of Uganda, has faced tremendous challenges with reproductive health and family planning. Some of these challenges include: early teenage pregnancies, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, inadequate access to feminine hygiene products, and an overall lack of information on basic concepts concerning reproductive health.
Due to the high poverty rate in this area, vulnerable, young girls end up being misled by boys who convince them that engaging in sex is the only way to get rid of their periods (thus eliminating the need to spend money on sanitary pads.) This causes rampant teen pregnancy that forces girls to drop out of school at a young age, destroys their chances of getting jobs, and ultimately prevents them from breaking out of the poverty cycle.
What We Need:
Our fundraising goal is $3,000, about 11,460,000 Ugandan shillings, which is enough to supply each of the 300 girls with sanitary pads for one year. On average, every $8 donated is enough money to supply one girl with sanitary pads for an entire year.
The Impact:
By reaching our goal, we will have the resources to support over 300 young women with feminine hygiene products and educational courses on reproductive health. These courses provide women with a proper knowledge of menstruation and safe sex, empowering them to use what they have learned to advance the well-being of current and future generations.
Throughout the years, Sub-Saharan Africa, especially the Northern region of Uganda, has faced tremendous challenges with reproductive health and family planning. Some of these challenges include: early teenage pregnancies, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, inadequate access to feminine hygiene products, and an overall lack of information on basic concepts concerning reproductive health.
Due to the high poverty rate in this area, vulnerable, young girls end up being misled by boys who convince them that engaging in sex is the only way to get rid of their periods (thus eliminating the need to spend money on sanitary pads.) This causes rampant teen pregnancy that forces girls to drop out of school at a young age, destroys their chances of getting jobs, and ultimately prevents them from breaking out of the poverty cycle.
What We Need:
Our fundraising goal is $3,000, about 11,460,000 Ugandan shillings, which is enough to supply each of the 300 girls with sanitary pads for one year. On average, every $8 donated is enough money to supply one girl with sanitary pads for an entire year.
The Impact:
By reaching our goal, we will have the resources to support over 300 young women with feminine hygiene products and educational courses on reproductive health. These courses provide women with a proper knowledge of menstruation and safe sex, empowering them to use what they have learned to advance the well-being of current and future generations.
Fundraising team: HCU Interns (3)
Laura Dooley
Organizer
Addie Lynch
Team member
Franny Lail
Team member
