GENDER ACTIVISTS IN GULU CITY PREPARE FOR MENSTRUAL HYGIENE RUN.

By Proscovia Achomo

Gulu City.

Her worth foundation a community-based organization in Gulu city is organizing a menstrual hygiene run to raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management among young girls, under the theme "Restoring hope through menstrual hygiene to end teenage pregnancy".

Raphael Okot Aboga, the programs coordinator for Her worth foundation, says the event also aims at raising funds to enable them provide menstrual products for the girls in the rural areas, and schools across Northern Uganda. "This run will see that the girls get free menstrual hygiene kits" he noted. "we also call upon the boys and men to get involved in the menstrual run to support their sisters and daughters because some girls live with their fathers who have little knowledge about the usage of pads, and therefore it is necessary that men teach their daughters on how to use sanitary pads", he added.

Jessica Riwa, one of the beneficiaries of her worth foundation says that she is grateful to the foundation for supporting her with reusable pads that levied her from the burden of buying sanitary pads every month because, there are moments when she doesn’t have money to buy the pads.

Prudence Monica Apiyo, the founder of Her worth foundation who also doubles as secretary female youth affairs in Gulu city said as her worth foundation, menstrual health has been their top priority because up to 26% of girls miss schools because of menstruation related issues like lack sanitary pads to use during their menstruation and they end up staying at home and some end up using dirty clothes or even mattresses’ which are not healthy and lack of sanitary facilities at Schools.

Ms. Apiyo Prudence added that in the first edition of the menstrual run, they were able to gather menstrual products including disposal pads and reusable pads and they were able to reach out to 1100 girls in schools and the community through mentorship program, life skills training and menstrual hygiene management training and provided trainings on how to make sanitary pads out of the local materials.
She further said that the Foundation was also able to provide 928 girls in the community with free sanitary kits.

Mr. Apiyo appealed to the teenage girls, parents’ stakeholder’s and leaders to join this run because she believes that some of the challenges that girls face can be solved if they work together.

The run is slated for 8th June 2024 at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City.

Written by admin