Helping African Girls with Something Most of Us Take for Granted

Something many of us women take for granted is going to the store for everyday things whenever we need them, such as all the products related to our monthly cycle, our periods. Here in America, girls are able to continue school when they start their cycles, and have at their disposal a drugstore filled with different brands of pads to choose from. Proper sanitation ensures that girls who have their periods aren't inconvenienced by the lack of products. For many girls in Africa though, their menstruation cycles really affect their way of life and their schooling. Unfortunately, without sanitary napkins or cloths (reusable or disposable), girls miss out on school during the entire cycle. According to The Standard Online, this equates to 7 days a month and 84 days a year that they miss out on school. Many drop out due to that, and cultural pressures placed on them.

There are many people helping out to prevent girls from missing school because of their menstruation cycles. There is an organization in Tuscon, AZ, Unite 4 Africa, that is distributing sanitary pads to young girls so they may stay in school during their cycles. Their Sanitary Pads Kenya Project on Facebook page shows them distributing them to girls. The organization such as the Lwala Community Alliance's New Visions Sewing Cooperative help school age girls with uniforms and reusable menstrual pads, sewn by their sewing co-op. Viewing their video shows how helping out can really change young girls lives.

Renee Shelton.