Many African girls stay out of school 20% of the time because they cannot afford to buy sanitary pads during their monthly period. This absenteeism has negative consequences for the girls’ health and education and undermines their potential. AFRIPADS, a sanitary and reusable menstrual pad, manufactured in Uganda is making a great difference in the Abuyudaya high school and elsewhere in the country.
Kulanu congratulates Kulanu volunteer Lorne Mallin of Vancouver, BC, who raised funds from the University Women’s Club in Vancouver to buy re-usable Afripads for the girls who live in the hostel (dorm) at Semei Kakungulu High School. SK High, the Abayudaya high school, serves Jewish, Christian, and Muslim students.
Student Leaa Naigaga wrote:
We humbly take this grateful opportunity to thank the administration for providing us with the sanitary pads, which have made us comfortable in our study. Actually we have seen that this type of pad has more advantages than those which we have been using.
They do not waste a lot of money because we can use them for a longer time than the ones we have been using. Furthermore, they also help to gather blood better than those we have been using, because some of us have heavy periods. The new ones do not expose our clothes to blood as do the others. On behalf of the [students] we thank you for what you have done for us.