About 250 girls from Emuhuwa Girls Secondary school in Kakamega have benefited from 4800 sanitary towels which were distributed by Society for Refugees and Youths in Africa (SoRY Africa).
The Organisation together with the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) distributed the sanitary towels in response to requests from students received through the suggestion boxes.
The school’s Deputy Principal Sarah Otanga said most girls had requested the school through the suggestion boxes to provide sanitary towels to them.
“The distribution is a relief to the girls, most of whom were uncomfortable sitting in class. The school is in a rural area and the majority of students come from humble backgrounds where even paying fees is a challenge,” she noted.
The Founder of the Organisation Emmanuel Kelly said they advocate for gender equality, climate action, peace and reconciliation through promotion of arts and culture in rural areas.
“We have discovered that most of the young girls who are in rural schools are facing challenges so we are trying to support them,” he noted.
He noted that apart from distribution of sanitary towels, SoRY Africa mentors the girls while KFCB educates them on consumption of clean content.
The organisation has distributed sanitary towels in other schools like Kituvu secondary school in Machakos and Ruaraka Secondary school. He says the organisation was founded in 2020.
A board member of the school Angeline Owino said the programme which is anchored on the theme ‘Keeping Hope Alive’ is meant to empower girls to maintain personal hygiene during menstruation.
She said they also engage them through peer working groups, mentorship and counselling sessions to motivate them to focus on their education.
“We also give an opportunity for the girls to network with other youths across the country whom we are working with in the programme,” she noted.
By Purity Simiyu
