Training young girls to become job creators

Ms Cathy Nakazibwe, Uganda Girl Guides Association leader, pioneered the training. She said if all primary school girls acquired these skills they would live a healthy life.

“We are targeting less privileged children in government schools whose parents find challenges buying them sanitary towels every month,” Ms Nakazibwe said.

The initiative followed a study by KPMG in Kira Municipality which found out that girls from disadvantaged backgrounds had no money to buy sanitary towels .

 “Some parents don’t care about their children when it comes to their menstruation days. We interacted with some of the children and discovered they were using old clothes as sanitary towels,’ she said. 

These not only make them uncomfortable when it comes to learning in class with boys but they are as well dangerous to their lives.

 “Most of the time a cloth cannot contain the blood because they are light and in the end it ends up penetrating through the knickers and ends up staining in uniforms,” she said.

Other children it was established come from families of single mothers who cannot afford basic necessities and they find it hard to take care of the girl child.

The essential items needed include a clean cotton cloth, a needle, a thread, baby mats, flannel, and scissors among others.

Ms Nakazibwe explained the process of making the towels and how to use them. She said the type they were making could be used for a maximum of six hours.

She shared that materials used in making these towels are a bit expensive because the sanitary towels range between Shs4000 and Shs7000 depending on the retailer but a single pad can last two years.

 Appeal to parents

Ms Salome Sseruyange, a senior manager at KPMG, encouraged parents to take good care of their children by providing them with basic needs otherwise they are forcing them into bad behaviours.

When children were asked how they go about their periods, they explained that they had to just fold another panty and wear it to control the flow while others looked for boda boda men to offer sex in exchange for money.

It was also realised that the root cause of this is poverty. Parents were asked to tap into opportunities such as making these sanitary towels.

“For a woman to prosper, she has to earn. Let these parents join village groups and acquire such skills,” Ms Sseruyange explained.

The reusable sanitary towel is not only affordable but it is also environment-friendly compared to the disposable pads.

Ms Sarah Kabonge, the head teacher of Kitukutwe Primary School, lauded KPMG and the Uganda Girl Guides Association for the opportunity saying the school had been facing a challenge to buy children sanitary towels.

“We used to buy emergency disposable sanitary towels to help girls, but they would get used up in two days. Parents are irresponsible and need to be sensitised,” Ms Kabonge said.