East Africa Projects
In East Africa the landscape for accessing period products is very different to the UK but the same difficulties regarding stigmatisation, misinformation and gender inequalities associated with periods also exist.
For women and girls, particularly those in rural areas, it can be difficult or even impossible to obtain products, and even when they are available through commercial sale, they are incredibly expensive comparable to the cost of living.
Through internal monitoring and existing data, we know that young women and girls struggle to access products. Without suitable menstrual protection many girls miss or even drop out of school altogether. The impact of period poverty in this context leads to transactional sex in order to pay for products, a misunderstanding of menstruation leading to teenage pregnancies, lower educational attainment and an impact on socio-economic opportunities.
The work that Freedom4Girls do through our East Africa projects is both the donation of washable-reusable period pad packs and the delivery of an education programme, (more information below).
The period pad packs last up to three years, allowing a young woman or girl to stay in school experiencing her periods safely, comfortably and with dignity. And the best part about it… they only cost £7 to make!
Can you support a young woman or girl with three years of menstrual protection by donating just £7- the cost of one of our reusable period pad packs?
Kenya
Our work in Kenya has grown exponentially since inception in 2016.
We have delivered over 10,000 period packs to schools, communities, women and girls in the four years of our practice.
In Kenya, disposable period products are very expensive and are not readily available. Through internal monitoring and external data, we know that young women and girls struggle to access products. Without access to suitable menstrual protection, many girls miss, or even drop out of school altogether.
The reusable period pad packs that are donated to beneficiaries in Kenya, come both from our Leeds-based sewing workshops and from two sewing workshops that are headed by experienced seamstresses in Kenya.
Our on the ground teams support in running their own social enterprises that create the period pad packs, and in delivering the education programme to all of the pad beneficiaries.
Freedom4Girls work alongside several Kenya-based organisations, such as Maji Safi Projects and SCORA to provide washable period packs, menstrual cups and menstrual hygiene education to thousands of girls in semi-rural Kenya.