“I decided to be the change that I want to see in my society.”
Girls Arise Uganda is a Non-Governmental Organization based in Uganda that focuses on ending period poverty. Girls Arise Uganda supports girls with Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) supplies and education. To date, it has positively impacted the lives of 2,000 school girls. Early in 2022, Girls Arise Uganda expanded its Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) programme to ensure girls with hearing impairments were receiving adequate support.
AFRIpads has been working with Girls Arise Uganda for over 6 years. We selected Girls Arise Uganda as our Partner of the Month for August because of their passion for working with girls who face the added challenge of living with a disability.
We spoke to Sandra Abbo, Founder, of Girls Arise Uganda who shared why Menstrual Health and Hygiene is so important, and how it affects girls living with disabilities
Why did you choose a Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) intervention?
This was and still is a major problem in my community. I lived through it as a girl. Surprisingly even years later it still wasn’t getting the attention it This was and still is a major problem in my community. I lived through it as a girl. Surprisingly even years later it still wasn’t getting the attention it should, so I decided to be the change that I want to see in my society, hence this Menstrual Health and Hygiene project.
What are the Menstrual Health and Hygiene challenges girls with disabilities face?
They shared with me that they mostly feel misunderstood. On top of that, they shy away from discussing menstruation. Additionally, they have no money to buy sanitary pads. Sadly, many of them also need underwear to wear with sanitary pads.
How does Girls Arise Uganda help girls living with disabilities cope with menstrual-related challenges?
We support the girls with free reusable sanitary pads, the AFRIpads Schoolgirl Kit and MHH education. We also create a safe space where they can talk and share their challenges.
Why did you undertake the Menstrual Health and Hygiene intervention in Tororo and Jinja districts?
Tororo district particularly doesn’t receive a lot of interventions, let alone Menstrual Health and Hygiene interventions. So, we decided to base our outreaches there since it is a neglected area.
We selected Jinja because we were invited to participate in an outreach for girls living with hearing impairments.
Thank you Girls Arise Uganda for dedicating yourselves to such a worthy cause!
