A total of 468 primary school girls have benefitted from free sanitary pads distribution exercise in Kwale undertaken by Bethel Network in a project dubbed Always Keeping Girls in School. The program target girls living with special abilities with over seven schools in Kwale being targeted which include Kwale school for the Deaf, Kwale school for the mentally ,Milalani unit for mentally, Kinango school for the Deaf, St. Lukes unit for the blind and Kidimu School for the Deaf among other ALWAYS KEEPING GIRLS IN SCHOOL project coordinator Janet Kadide distribute pads to Kidimu School for the Deaf girls[/caption] Others are Jomo Kenyatta primary school,Mamba primary school and Kiteje primary school. The ALWAYS KEEPING GIRLS IN SCHOOL project coordinator Janet Kadide said that they are doing everything possible to ensure every girl stays in class during menstrual days. She said that other partners who are supporting the initiative include Kombani Homes and Tulinde Future Yetu initiative.
"Teachers and other organisations have really worked hard to ensure girls get pads but more need to be done. We need more people to volunteer to talk to the girls and encourage them," she told Coast Times Digital.
She said that they have also looped in boys in the project for life skills training so that they can be their sisters' keepers.
"The project also focuses on doing self esteem awareness, goal setting, menstruation hygiene and puberty training," she added.
The four years project that started in May 2022 is meant to ensure girls understand menstrual hygiene and keep them in classes. She appealed for more well-wishers to support the initiative so that boys can be fully supported. "We have boys who are affected and need people to talk to them and also if we can give them some basics like we are doing to girls it will be of great help to our community," she said.