On Day 140, we learned more about the issues young girls face in continuing on to secondary school.
“No one teaches about menstruation. Even the parents don’t tell their girls. It takes a girl by surprise,” said Agnes, ARC Sanitation Officer.
The shame that can accompany beginning menstruation can be made worse by not being prepared to face such a change. So, today we are doing the doable to help keep girls in school.
Ruhoko Primary School has over 800 girls in attendance – both refugees and Ugandans. But, many will drop out when they begin menstruating because simply staying clean and keeping their school uniform unstained is a challenge.
“Building a water tank, this will make a change for these girls,” said Agnes. With the help of a local engineer in Nakivale, we constructed a water tank next to the girls washroom. This will give girls access to running water to wash out their reusable pads. “This way we can let people know the process is normal,” said Agnes.
“This will now keep the girl child in attendance at school,” exclaimed the school’s Head Teacher.
