In a bid to increase girls’ retention in school, the Kiambu County Directorate of Social Services is distributing essential sanitary towels to public primary schools and special primary and secondary schools all across the county.
The programme, which was launched on Monday, October 14, 2024, will run until Friday, targeting vulnerable residents and students in all the 60 wards present in the county.
According to the Chief Officer Vocational Training & Social Services, Emily Nkoroi, who led the exercise in schools at Limuru Sub County, the aim is to provide all schoolgirls with sanitary towels so as to minimise absenteeism and put them on par with their male counterparts.
“The objective of the programme is to increase the access of teenage girls to sexual and reproductive health products so that we can increase their retention in school, transition to higher levels of learning, and thereby enhance their academic performance,” said Nkoroi.
She added that the programme will also provide diapers to children in special primary and adult diapers to vulnerable residents.
“Last year when we conducted this exercise, we discovered that there was a need to address critical needs among disadvantaged individuals also, to ensure they too could access basic hygiene products that are often overlooked,” she added.
On his part, County Director for Gender and Social Services David Warwathe said the programme is going to benefit about 20,000 people in the county.
“At the moment only identified public primary schools and special primary and secondary schools have benefitted with the programme, but plans are underway to ensure that the programme covers all needy girls and women all across the county,” said Warwathe.
The county government is therefore calling out for partners who can supplement the county government effort by procuring sanitary towels for girls out of school and vulnerable women such as street women and girls, girls in informal learning institutions and settlements.
Data from the Ministry of Education indicates that a girl who is absent from school for four days in 28 days (month) loses 13 learning days, equivalent to two weeks of learning in every school term. In an academic year (nine months), a girl loses 39 learning days, equivalent to six weeks of learning time. A girl in primary school between grades 6 and 8 (three years) loses 18 learning weeks out of 108 weeks. Within the four years of high school, a girl can lose 156 learning days, equivalent to almost 24 weeks out of 144 weeks of learning.
By Grace Naishoo
