Churches, traders and teachers of Ololulunga ward in Narok South Sub County have come together to collect sanitary towels to benefit girls during this season that schools are closed because of Covid-19 pandemic.
The initiative dubbed Sanitary Pads Drive is aimed at collecting sanitary pads for underprivileged girls in the county whose parents cannot afford to buy the important commodity.
Speaking during the distribution of over 1000 sanitary pads to the teenage girls, Ms. Sophie Tanki, a representative of the teachers said the idea came up when they realized that many girls fell pregnant because of following men who promised to give them little money that could help them buy the sanitary towels.
Ms. Tanki who is also the headmistress of Olosorwa Primary school said they have collaborated to collect the sanitary towels so that no girl will feel disadvantaged because of lack of sanitary towels.
“We are championing for the rights of the girl child who sometimes is faced by challenges the society does not understand. I know not every parent thinks of buying their girl child sanitary towels either because of ignorance or they cannot afford,” said Ms. Tanki.
The distribution exercise was done on Saturday in Masantare Primary school where about 500 girls benefited.
Narok Pastors fellowship Chairman Bishop Peter Nakola lamented that the county had recorded over 5, 000 cases of teenage pregnancies since the schools’ closure.
“Most of these cases, I believe, were fueled by the lack of sanitary towels where girls were looking for men who can understand them and buy them the towels,” he said, adding that no girl should struggle in getting the sanitary towels.
He called on the churches to teach the young children morals so that they could be responsible citizens in the future.
“It is not only education, but we want our children to live a holistic life. We are fighting early marriages and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) that have been rampant in our county,” said the Bishop.
“You will not be a girl forever but you have a great future ahead of you because God had a purpose of creating you as a girl,” advised the bishop.
The Ololulunga Assistant County Commissioner Jared Owino asked the society not to let Covid-19 to affect them to an extent of destroying the future generation.
“We are on the lookout for those men who want to marry young girls. Go and buy uniforms for your wife so that she can look like a young girl.
By Ann Salaton
