In rural Kenya, seven in ten girls miss out on school for days every month because of a lack of reusable sanitary pads
Who is SafeGirl International?
Gonsag Odero is the co-founder of Safe Girl International (as well as TFEC – Township Foundation Education Centre).
Safe Girl International is an organisation wanting to make and distribute reusable sanitary pads to girls in a rural village, Rangewe in Kenya.
Their objective is to provide these girls with a personal hygiene product widely considered as ‘essential’, and so decrease absenteeism from school.
The need—reusable sanitary pads
It is estimated that seven out of 10 women and girls in rural Kenya are unable to afford sanitary pads or towels. This means that for days at a time, young girls are missing out on school leaving them even more disadvantaged.
SafeGirl International wishes to supply 1,000 reusable pads per month. To do this, they require two sewing machines and the material to make the four layers of a reusable sanitary pads—nylon, cotton, towelling and fleece.
Small Act—Keep 1 Girl at School
Can you come up with creative ideas with your community, colleagues and children to help supply the equipment and materials for reusable sanitary pads and Keep 1 Girl at School?
The cost
The full cost of the sewing machines and fabric is US$2,000
To Keep 1 Girl at School is USD20. (+/-AUD28)
How many girls can you keep at school?