Her Education Matters Njenga: Our Partner, Green Vision

We are delighted to be working with our partner in Malawi - Green Vision - who will be implementing the project  Her Education Matters within the Njenga Primary and Secondary Schools to provide 500 girls with better menstrual hygiene management.

Green Vision identified the school through consultation with both the Primary and Secondary school administration as well as  associated groups such as the Mother Groups, PTA and SMC. These stakeholders reported that vulnerable girls frequently missed schools during their periods.

The local teachers further highlighted that absenteeism among girls rose during their periods  as many did not have sanitary products, pain killers and access to changing facilities at the school.

Green Vision completed their own independent research and found that over 60% of secondary school girls did not have  access to good modern sanitary packs. Alongside this there is significant willingness from the local community to be involved. In conversation with the PTA and Mother Groups they found a strong interest in learning to make reusable sanitary pads to address this barrier sustainably. 

“The community leaders, including the chiefs, are viewing the projects as a long-term solution which will eventually directly improve the girls' education outcomes for the community”

Green Vision will have a project management team led by Kingston Safuya who will oversee the project. As seen in other articles for the project is two pronged with the provision of sewing machines for the Schools’ mother groups to produce sanitary pads with and the construction of changing rooms and toilets.

Using the two sewing machines, 20 members of the mother groups will produce reusable and modern sanitary pads (Disposable pads typically are generally too expensive for the girls to buy as the commercial packs of 8 cost approximately $2.10 when average salary is around $1 a day). They will receive training from local experts to ensure high quality production and when being interviewed the mother group said the reason they volunteered was because of their:

“passion for the girls to succeed in their studies [and because] this initiative will help students feel confident about their wellbeing without the fear of experiencing menstruation while in class”

The construction of the new changing rooms and toilets which will give girls a safe and private environment to complete their menstrual hygiene management at school. This will be done sustainably with eco-friendly building techniques and Green Vision’s project coordinator Kingston praised willingness of the local community to assist in the construction process:

“the parents, the mother groups and the PTA have committed to contributing the building material for the changing rooms”

Through the help of both Think Malawi and Green Vision this project will reduce the barriers girls face in attending school, directly contributing to improved attendance, retention, and other educational outcomes for vulnerable girls. No longer will the girls have to use unhygienic traditional methods of period management with the ready supply of pads provided by the mother group. No more will the girls miss school due to the lack of facilities for them to complete their menstrual hygiene management.

Green Vision will constantly update us on the project from start to finish so donate now to help these 500 girls at Njenga Primary and Secondary Schools.