USAFI GIRLS CAMPAIGN
(Right to a Healthy Sanitary Life)
(Right to a Healthy Sanitary Life)
Introduction and Background
Globally,
150 million children currently enrolled in school may drop out before
completing primary education and at least 100 million of these are girls.
Menstruation for girls without access to sanitary towels/pads and underpants is
a major contributor to girls dropping out of school. UNICEF estimated that 1 in
10 menstruating African school girls skip four (4) or five (5) days per month
or drop out completely.
Educational
opportunities in Uganda have grown considerably since 2000, for example, there
have been marked increase in enrollment from primary school to the tertiary
level. These increases have followed initiatives at international levels in
setting up instruments to ensure equitable education. The government of Uganda
has provided “Free” primary and secondary education for all. However,
statistics show that less than 38% of girls entering primary one (1) will complete
their primary education and the numbers will still drop during the early years
of secondary education. Many obstacles stand in the way of successful education
for the rural girls among them are issues relating to puberty, teen pregnancy
and early marriage.
Usafi
Girls Campaign is a young girls and women advocacy initiative, implemented by
Haven Anti-AIDS Foundation a charitable, indigenous,
not-for-profit Children and Youth development organization, registered with a
mandate of involving and empowering children and youth to fight against
HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, alleviate poverty through the use of their talents to
improve their livelihoods, realize their potential and discover their worth
through participatory and advocacy activities, with the goal of empowering and
advocating for easy access to sanitary towels/pads to school girls so as to
improve their health and education in Uganda. A survey of menstruating girls in
rural Uganda found out that the biggest number of school dropouts are girls
because of inconveniences during the menstrual periods. These absenteeism leads
to poor academic performances and subsequent dropping out of school. Academic performance correlates closely with school
attendance, and absenteeism, and drop out rates are high for rural Ugandan
girls for reasons often linked to their reproductive biology. Menstruation,
early pregnancy, STI and HIV interfere with their success at school. Educating
girls is widely regarded as one of the best ways to improve the economy and health
of developing countries. The lack of education and financial inequalities
between men and women mean that women often lack the power to control their
reproductive health.
Statement of the Problem
Despite
the fact that theirs free universal primary education in Uganda, many rural and
semi-rural girls drop out of school at puberty stages due to lack of sanitary
towels/pads. Only 38% of Uganda girls will complete primary school and only 13%
will attend secondary education. This campaign will increase access to
education and improve health for poor rural girls in Uganda through peer
education programs, improved sanitary hygiene and the self-sustainable
production of locally produced, ecologically friendly sanitary towels/pads. (MakaPads)
Vision
To live in a society with equal opportunities and equal access to
resources
Mission
To improve and facilitate efforts towards the promotion and
protection of education, sanitary health and wellbeing of girls and women
Main Goal
To advocate for girls and women accessibility, affordability,
availability and acceptability of sanitary towels/pads to improve their health
and education in schools and communities of Uganda
Objectives
- To
advocate for girls and women’s rights as a way of accessing sanitary
towels/pads to better their health and education in Uganda.
- To
provide skills to girls and women on how to make their own sanitary
towels/pads for self-sustenance
- To
support preventive programmes that promote girls and women sanitary health
- To
empower marginalized and vulnerable female groups in communities to
realize their potential and gender responsive development
Brief description of the campaign
and Activities
The
campaign is national wide with the aim of providing support and creating
awareness for improved health and education of girls and women through sanitary
towel/pads provision and production. It is expected to run for a period of 5
years in which we expect to achieve our designated goals and objectives. Through
its implementation, the following activities are to be enforced;
- Training
girls and women in the production of sanitary towels/pads with the help of
MakaPads technology
- Workshops
- Distribution
of sanitary towels/pads to girls and women most especially vulnerable and
disabled
- Lobbying
and advocacy
- Information
dissemination and sensitization
- Voluntary
counseling in matters relating to menstruation periods
- Capacity
building and mentoring
- Platforms
for girls and women to raise their issues
Targets
The
campaign aims at reaching out to young girls aged 9 – 14 years from primary
four (4) to primary seven (7), then senior one (1) to senior six (6) students,
that is, 14 – 24 years and University and out of girls and women, that is, 25 –
45 years. It also targets communities of vulnerable and disabled girls who
already dropped out of school due to the lack of funds to purchase sanitary
towels/pads. It also extends to university students and out of school girls and
women.
Scope
The
major operational areas of the campaign are Kampala, Wakiso, Jinja, Mukono, Buikwe,
Kamuli, Iganga, Mayuge, Mbale, Tororo, Busia, Kumi, Soroti, Pallisa, Lira,
Pader, Kitgum, Kotido, Arua, Abim, Nebbi, Gulu, Kitgum, Fortportal, Mubende,
Mityana, Kibaale, Mbarara, Masaka, Mpigi, Rakai, among other districts of
Uganda and it is expected to move across the whole country.
The strategic and campaigning
process
Usafi
Girls campaign is implemented by Haven Anti-AIDS Foundation a charitable,
indigenous, not-for-profit Children and Youth development organization,
registered with a mandate of involving and empowering children and youth to
fight against HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, alleviate poverty through the use of their
talents to improve their livelihoods, realize their potential and discover
their worth through participatory and advocacy activities, in which its
activities and programmes are to be initiated into the organization’s work
plans. The campaign is to last for a period of five (5) years (2012 - 2017) in
which it’s going to accomplish all its goals and objectives. Its immediate
implementing partners, that is, Technology 4 Tomorrow the sole producers and
manufacturers of MakaPads will the suppliers of these materials and will also
be in charge of training girls and women. They will also initiate the
construction of incinerators to different schools with training of how to use
them. Other projects like Kasiisi project, Kyaka II project, Hope North Uganda
among others of these who have done something similar will be brought on board
so as to ease the campaigning process.
By
the end of 2017, the campaign will have been able to establish swampy areas
where papyrus plants can easily be accessed and grown. Each region will have an
established mini factory for manufacturing of sanitary towels (MakaPads) and
these will employ girls and women and will get different types of skills for
making MakaPads. Schools, community leaders and parents will receive counseling
and guidance skills and trainings on how to keep the environment clean to avoid
infections. Changing rooms for school going girls will be established in
different mixed and girls schools and also a proposal of introducing a USAFI
day with different activities like cleaning of the changing rooms and other
sports activities. Girls and women will receive trainings in menstrual hygiene
and free sanitary towels and pants will be provided to those vulnerable and
disabled. This will increase attendance of girls in schools during menses,
participation in class and physical activities, enhance personal grooming and
building self confidence.
Other Strategies
- Lobbying
for government representatives and policy makers
- Workshops
for menstrual hygiene
- House
– to – House/community outreaches
- Primary
and Secondary schools outreaches
- Dialogues
with local health practitioners and workers
- Training
in sanitary towels/pads making
Benefits of the campaign to girls
and women
- Provision
of cheap and free supply of sanitary towels/pads
- Increased
attendance of school going girls during menses
- Improvement
in health from using hygienic products
- Employment
opportunities
- Improved
self confidence
- Enhanced
personal grooming
- More
frequent participation in class and physical activities
- Improved
environment for girls in menses by building changing rooms
- Vocational
training in the manufacture of sanitary towels/pads
- Information
on menstrual hygiene
Immediate partners
- Kyaka
II Project (Refugees)
- Makapads
(Technologies 4 Tomorrow)
- Hope
North Uganda
- Kasiisi
Project (girls support program)
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