Stuff A Stocking With Girl Power
Donation protected
Can you stuff a girl's stocking with sanitary protection this Christmas?
Just $10 buys a girl in poverty in Kenya 3 month's supply.
This year, through the Migori Health & Rights Network, Chris (on the ground in Kenya) and I set up our first major project, the Rongo Community Reproductive Health Program in Migori, Kenya.
We set up a community hub (12 month lease) complete with desk, office chair, computer, internet access, meeting room table and 6 chairs. We also carried out some minor renovations and a local artist painted a street front logo/mural.
Most importantly, we distributed sanitary products to girls in three schools for four months.
While writing this, I’m so emotional. Tears well.
It’s hard to explain the impact this has had on the lives of these girls, particularly towards the end of the year. Often it’s the difference between sitting an exam and not sitting an exam.
However, we have already exhausted our stock of sanitary products. We have about 35 pieces left and this may be finished next week.
The girls who sat their exams are already requesting us to give them Christmas/New Year gifts of sanitary towels as they join secondary school.
Can you stuff a girl's stocking with sanitary products this Christmas?
Rongo Community Reproductive Health Program has been so successful that we’re almost ready for the next step in the project – sex education in schools.
Sex education in Kenyan schools focuses on puberty, but not on safe sex. Abstinence is preached and, due to Christian fundamentalism, condoms are neither talked about nor distributed.
While we will continue to seek funds for sanitary products and are keen to create a project that provides access to more environmentally-friendly alternatives to sanitary pads, we are also looking forward to working with schools in Migori to start delivering a drama-based community development project for boys and girls, creating a safe space to talk about safe sex practices.
Can you gift girl power this Christmas?
A gift of $25 will help us make major progress towards educating boys and girls about teen pregnancy and HIV.
Just $10 buys a girl in poverty in Kenya 3 month's supply.
This year, through the Migori Health & Rights Network, Chris (on the ground in Kenya) and I set up our first major project, the Rongo Community Reproductive Health Program in Migori, Kenya.
We set up a community hub (12 month lease) complete with desk, office chair, computer, internet access, meeting room table and 6 chairs. We also carried out some minor renovations and a local artist painted a street front logo/mural.
Most importantly, we distributed sanitary products to girls in three schools for four months.
While writing this, I’m so emotional. Tears well.
It’s hard to explain the impact this has had on the lives of these girls, particularly towards the end of the year. Often it’s the difference between sitting an exam and not sitting an exam.
However, we have already exhausted our stock of sanitary products. We have about 35 pieces left and this may be finished next week.
The girls who sat their exams are already requesting us to give them Christmas/New Year gifts of sanitary towels as they join secondary school.
Can you stuff a girl's stocking with sanitary products this Christmas?
Rongo Community Reproductive Health Program has been so successful that we’re almost ready for the next step in the project – sex education in schools.
Sex education in Kenyan schools focuses on puberty, but not on safe sex. Abstinence is preached and, due to Christian fundamentalism, condoms are neither talked about nor distributed.
While we will continue to seek funds for sanitary products and are keen to create a project that provides access to more environmentally-friendly alternatives to sanitary pads, we are also looking forward to working with schools in Migori to start delivering a drama-based community development project for boys and girls, creating a safe space to talk about safe sex practices.
Can you gift girl power this Christmas?
A gift of $25 will help us make major progress towards educating boys and girls about teen pregnancy and HIV.
Organizer
Elissa Jenkins
Organizer
Yeerongpilly QLD
