SAVE A FUTURE, SAVE A GIRL -SANITARY PADS FOR SCHOOLGIRLS IN KENYA

I million schoolgirls in Kenya miss school every month when they have their periods, and they are exposed to infection, exploitation and sexually transmitted diseases.
 
Due to high costs and poverty-related barriers, 3 out of 5 Kenyan girls and women cannot afford adequate menstrual products. The price of a single pack of sanitary pads equates to the daily wage of an unskilled worker.
 
Girls often resort to unsafe alternatives, which can lead to infections like urinary tract infections (UTIs), affecting 1 in 4 women. In Kwale County, a poor part of Kenya, the problem is acute. Many live below the poverty line and can’t afford basic needs, let alone money to buy menstrual products.

CAENDON is asking for donations to supply pads and essential health, hygiene, and puberty training for girls in Kwale County.
This help will secure the future of many girls by saving them from

• Monthly absenteeism from school: 1 week out of 4 each month, 1 million girls in Kenya who can’t afford to get pads are often forced to miss school.
• Health Risks: using unhygienic materials and products can lead to urinary tract and reproductive infections, which can result in future infertility and birth complications.
• Early teenage pregnancy and marriage: Some girls have resorted to engaging in sex with adults who, in turn, give them money to use in buying sanitary pads. This has made them vulnerable to teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
• Period stigma: Many Kenyans still don’t have proper education about periods; they believe in different myths and taboos about menstruation, thereby subjecting our girls to stigma. Which affects their psychological well-being.
• Economic disadvantage – Girls faced more limited opportunities for the future due to poor health and lack of consistent education,