Travel & Hotspots
“I thought I had sat on a nail”
Why education about menstruation
is a serious matter
Kiki got to celebrate her birthday in Chicago, but mine was certainly not any less. I blew out my candles in Uganda. Figuratively speaking, of course, because I was actually far too busy to eat cake and besides, it wasn't about me, but I was on a mission. Let me first introduce myself properly. I am Annick, sales assistant at your favorite website (right? Right?). For Amayzine, I got to join Plan Netherlands for five days to see how the Menstrual Hygiene Management Project is progressing there.
Yes, I hadn't heard of it either, but now I know all about it. Just imagine: the girls in Uganda have no idea what menstruation is or what it means. They don't realize that this is the beginning of their fertility. They have never heard of tampons and so they stuff earth, banana leaves, or old newspapers in their underwear to catch the blood. And of course, they are ashamed. The boys at school laugh at them when they leak, so they dare not go to school anymore, and thus they have even less chance of a job or income later.
I haven't even mentioned the myths that exist there. For example, girls are not allowed to walk through the garden when they are menstruating, because the plants would die. Or they are not allowed to serve meat, because then they would remain menstruating forever.
The Menstrual Hygiene Management Project (MHM) from Plan aims to ensure that education is provided in schools, better sanitary facilities are available, and that there is – reusable – sanitary pads available. Together with ambassadors Caro Emerald and Pip Pellens (who have joined the project together with Neelie Kroes ) I boarded the plane on Monday.
”You can see the mango trees, avocado trees, and baboons (begging for food) just standing along the road.”
The next day we drove (oh yes, in Uganda they drive on the left) in the rain from Kampala to Tororo, where this plan is being implemented. And guys, Uganda is green. You can see the mango trees, avocado trees, and baboons (begging for food) just standing along the road. In the evening, we met Jane and Moses, who work for Plan Uganda and oversee and implement this project in Tororo.
First, I went to a school. The children danced and sang the Sanitation Song and the Menstrual Hygiene Anthem for us. Then I sat down separately with five girls to hear their experiences about their first menstruation. Most of the time they were at school and found out they had started menstruating because there was blood on their skirt. They went home in shame, never to return to school, and had no idea what was happening. Someone even said: “I thought I had sat on a nail.”.
At home, they often receive no more information than: “It's normal, every girl has this” or they are too ashamed to even tell. Thanks to the MHM project, they now know what is happening to their bodies and can talk about it. With the reusable sanitary pads (the Afripads), they can go to school when they are menstruating and can therefore finish their education, giving them a future.
But if you think we are dealing with a happy ending here, you are mistaken. Many women actually cannot afford these Afripads, so now Plan is teaching teachers to make their own sanitary pads, so these women can then teach the girls. This way, they can make their own reusable pads from old cotton clothes.
”This way, they can make their own reusable pads from old cotton clothes”
At schools, plays are also performed on this subject. They show in a fun way (because this is actually the only entertainment available) how girls and parents used to deal with menstruation and teach the children and parents how to handle it now. These plays are very well attended, and the children find them really funny. For those children, it's a fun way to learn about menstruation.
The trip was over way too quickly, and we drove back to the capital to catch the night flight back to Amsterdam. I will never forget this experience. It is so beautiful to witness such a project up close, and now I saw for myself that these projects really make a difference.
We must not underestimate the power of education. That is the most important thing in these kinds of projects, because without knowledge, it will never get better. That is why Plan does such incredibly good work in Uganda. There are now more girls in schools than boys, menstruation is a topic of discussion among parents, boys, and girls, and the resources are available to handle it well and hygienically.
Plan also wants to expand this project to other communities and regions. And we must continue to help, because even though it is certainly going in the right direction, they are still far from there.
Especially for this project, three bags have been designed: the Bag To School. These will be launched tomorrow at the Bijenkorf Amsterdam – if you want to be there, please like our Facebook post and who knows, we might invite you, along with a friend, and they will be available from June 8 at the Bijenkorf. The proceeds from this (€29.95 each) will go entirely to this beautiful project. Buy the Bag To School and support this project. Because I can tell you from personal experience: it works.
Photo credits: Bill Tanaka
