World Connect

Sanitary Pads for Kazomba

Year: 2018

Country: Malawi

Project Status: Funded

Impact Sector: Health

Project Investment: $3,593.76

Project Launch: 12-28-18

This project construct one three roomed change room for at Kazomba Community Day Secondary School. Secondly, it will train 10 girl peer educators and members of mother groups at Kazomba CDSS in the production of affordable and locally made sanitary pads. 10 peer educators will continue training others using a peer-to-peer approach. Mothers will train other mothers to train their girls in sanitary pad making. By the end of 6 months, the project anticipates training a total of 40 girls and 100 women with girls of school going age. The project will further provide 30 mothers of girls in school with chickens to support them with costs associated with buying of materials for pad making. Each mother will receive 10 chickens. This project hopes to bring back 90% of the girls who lost school days due to monthly periods.

Project Update: 4-24-19

Three months after its launch, construction of the change room is 90% completed, 40 students have been trained in menstrual health and hygiene and production of sanitary reusable menstrual pads. After the training, these 40 girls are expected to train their peers thereby equipping all girls at the school with important knowledge about menstrual health and hygiene. Communities in Development Activities has has also acquired chickens, which will be distributed to some of the participants’ mothers after completing a chicken raising training as a way of enabling them to generate funds for materials to make more reusable sanitary pads. Siphiwe, age 17, expressed her gratitude towards the project by saying, “I have always had problems with my privacy particularly at the toilets. There has been no room for us to be free and change our pads. Thank you COIDA, thank you World Connect for the support towards this project at our school.”

Final Report: 10-29-19

The Sanitary Pads for Kazomba project has constructed a three door changeroom which is used by over 80 girls at Kazomba Community Day Secondary School. With this facility, girls are comfortably changing their pads at school which has reduced the rate of absenteeism in class from 55% down to 25%, subsequently improving their classroom performance. Secondly, COIDA trained 30 girls and 30 guardians in sanitary pad making and menstrual hygiene management. The 30 girls who are now Trainer of Trainees have in turn facilitated sanitary pads making for other 290 girls around the community. As part of sustainability, the project has established a menstrual hygiene club at Kazomba, led by the local leader which has provided a platform for girls to regularly meet and discuss menstrual hygiene management and sexual reproductive health issues in more detail. Over 90% of the trained girls reported gaining confidence to stay in school even during their menstrual periods. Getrude Kabanga, a 17 year-old participant, said, “At this point in time, I have no valid excuse to miss lessons due to menstrual related problems, I have the skills which no one can take away from me in addition to being economically empowered with chickens which help us buy materials to make reusable pads when need arises.”