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Miss Uganda Foundation, MAMA Africa partner to keep girls in school
Miss Uganda CEO Brenda Nanyonjo (L), Buyende District Production Officer Dr Fred Kabale and Deputy CAO Samson Natsambwa with beauty queens and Mama Africa CEO Shamim Nakibogo (in blue) after distributing sanitary kits to girls and young mothers at Nsomba Village, Kagulu sub-county, Buyende District on Saturday. PHOTO | SAM CALEB OPIO
What you need to know:
- MAMA Africa CEO Shamim Nakibogo challenged the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Ms Janet Museveni, to use her position to push for the inclusion of sanitary pads on the Universal Primary Education (UPE) grant
As schools reopen for the second term, Miss Uganda Foundation and Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse (MAMA) Africa have called for an aggressive campaign to prepare girls for menstruation and safeguard them during the monthly cycle.
While handing over an assortment of materials, including sanitary kits, pads, knickers, soap, Vaseline and other assorted materials to girls and young mothers at Nsomba Primary School in Kagulu sub-county, Buyende District, Miss Uganda Chief Executive Officer, Brenda Nanyonjo, urged girls to get back to school.
She said since women and girls are the “backbone of our societies”, they deserve access to safe and dignified life, especially in managing their menstrual periods.
“All of us should aggressively advocate for safe and comfort zones, where girls can change during the bad times so that the menstruation does not become a punishment and a distraction for them to stay and complete school,” she said on Saturday.
MAMA Africa CEO Shamim Nakibogo challenged the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Ms Janet Museveni, to use her position to push for the inclusion of sanitary pads on the Universal Primary Education (UPE) grant.
“We have pushed for inclusion of menstrual hygiene management, provision of sanitary pads and special washrooms in schools, but the Minister of Education will say the Finance Ministry has no funds; but now that we have the First Lady, a mother and educationist, we shall make a breakthrough since it is in the best interest of our daughters,” Nakibogo noted.
Buyende deputy chief administrative officer, Samson Natsambwa, revealed that menstrual hygiene accounts for more girls dropping out of school yet sanitary pads are expensive, suggesting that the best option is for the government to offer them freely or reduce its cost.
Buyende District Production Officer, Dr Frederick Kabale, challenged the girls and young women to form associations so that they take on the Parish Development Model (PDM) 30% youth clause to access funds and start a local sanitary pads-making business for sustainability.
