Menstruation is a natural and essential part of the reproductive cycle. However, it remains a taboo topic in most parts of the world, and it’s rarely talked about. These taboos affect the way women and girls participate and live during menstruation. In addition, poverty in the communities, lead to limited access of hygienic products (sanitary towels), water and soap making it difficult for them to manage hygiene during menstruation, lack of proper sanitation such as places to wash and proper disposal is a challenge
Women play a fundamental role in their daughters’ lives. Bead for Her is the latest addition to our project, this project, we involve women to create sustainability and promote ownership on the provision of menstrual products. Beading is an income generating activity for the Maasai community. We empower the women’s’ economic activity by providing them with new skills to make their crafts fetch more money the marketplace we engage them on topics such as financial literacy and provide market opportunities for them, they in return give a percentage of their income to the Menstrual hygiene Program to keep girls in class.
We train committed university student to act as mentors to the young girls and utilize our curriculum that make the develop leadership skills, they are also mentored by professional women who in turn guide them towards their career paths they are working towards as they lead by example. Our multi-generational group mentoring builds a community of strength around every girl.
The Malkia Initiative theory of change, we believe that provision of menstrual products to the girls will increase the use of sanitary towels and consequently increase school attendance and school participation leading to an increase in school retention and completion rate. We also believe that teaching menstrual and reproductive health education will lead to increased knowledge on menstrual hygiene, improved self-efficacy and self-esteem and will also improve their attitudes and norms toward menstruation. This will then lead to improved Sexual reproductive health reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and delay the time of first sex, this will again lead to school retention and completion. In the last 4 years we have reached over 15,000 girls with Menstrual Hygiene education, trained over 100 teachers as MHM trainer of trainees and work actively in 33 schools. We also serve 500 needy girls with sanitary towels annually
Your donations go a very long way in ensuring we keep women and girls in school, save them from gender-based violence and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation
Below you can see where the money goes and the impact we have on girls
Below are our organisational policies and the standards we govern oursleves by:
Young people and adolescents just like adults require motivation to make healthy decision about their reproductive health
Menstruation is a natural and essential part of the reproductive cycle. However, it remains a taboo topic in most parts of the world, and it’s rarely talked about.
In Maasai land girl child education is not prioritized, in this community, a girl has little use except as a conduit to bring bride wealth to their families.
We contribute towards enhancing equity in education by reducing barriers to transition and increase engagement and well-being of Adolescents girls and Youth.
The Malkia Initiative works to enhance the enrollment, retention, attendance and transition of girl
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