Removing barriers to girls education through Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management

Think Malawi is proud to announce the start of a new project alongside our Malawian-based partner organisation Women Palm Tree Organisation (WTPO).

This project focuses on the Katubza Full Primary School, located within the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in the Dowa District of central Malawi, which is home to over 50,000 displaced people from Rwanda, the DRC and Burundi.

The school has 2,968 students between the ages of 7-17 with 1,419 being girls. The rural school is poorly resourced and overcrowded. This negatively affects all learners but especially girls, who during their periods, choose to miss lessons rather than face this difficult environment and its lack of menstrual health and hygiene management services.

In their visit in October 2024, WPTO noted 600 girls aged 10-17 at risk of dropping out of school due to inadequate school facilities. School records indicated that once girls started missing classes, they would then drop out altogether with 7.5% of girls leaving school annually due to lack of access to menstrual health and hygiene management. This, in turn, leads to unplanned pregnancies as they would stay at home and get married.

WPTO, with £2,000 of Think Malawi funds, aims to bring access to menstrual health and hygiene management services while providing information on sexual reproductive health and rights to learners and their community.

Using a school-based approach, the project is directly supporting the young girls and indirectly educating teachers, boys and parents through educating, empowering, sensitising and raising awareness on the issues. Lessons are currently being held teaching learners on sexual reproductive health and rights to the girls. Additionally, plans are to set-up an ambassador team of 10 girls who have been identified as leaders during these lessons to continue supporting their peers in learning and understanding these issues.

Moreover, WPTO has used the funding to buy 5 tailoring machines and start-up materials for the production of reusable sanitary pads and uniforms. They will train 10 mothers in tailoring and designing skills, including how to make reusable sanitary pads. This will support the girls at the school with access to period products and clothing alongside selling these products at a low price to the community as well.

This project aims to have 5 clear positive impacts within 12 months:

1. Increased the rate of class attendance of 746 girl learners by 80% thereby improving the school academic performance.

2. The 10 women equipped with tailoring skills will be able to produce sanitary pads and school unform and clothes for vulnerable girls and boys and generate income for their families and vulnerable learners.

3. Increase the capacity of 10 mothers group members to effectively manage and sustain menstrual health, hygiene and sanitation practices.

4. Reduced cases of girls drop outs and consequently child marriages at Katubza Full Primary School by 70%.

5. Reduced cases of pregnancies among 400 girl learners resulting from lack of sexual reproductive health information at school.

   
   

Think Malawi will continue updating our readers on this project and other similar projects throughout this year on this website, however, there are other ways to also stay updated through our social media such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X or join our monthly newsletter.

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