Muchaneta Chimuka

MORE than 80 girls in Magaya Village, under Headman Jakopo in Chief Mangwende’s area of Murewa, recently benefited from a menstrual hygiene outreach programme organised by Shamwari Yemwanasikana in partnership with community well-wisher Mrs Enia Matenga, who is based in the United Kingdom.

Mrs Matenga, who was raised in Magaya Village, has been giving back to the community through various initiatives.

Speaking during the handover of menstrual hygiene kits to teenage girls, Shamwari Yemwanasikana founder and director Mrs Ekenia Chifamba said the programme went beyond the distribution of sanitary products.

“It created an open and engaging space where girls and community members could discuss menstrual health and hygiene, ask questions, challenge misconceptions and learn practical ways of managing menstruation safely and with dignity,” she said.

The outreach also featured performances and fitness exercises, making the programme both educational and engaging for participants.

Mrs Chifamba said the initiative recognised that menstrual hygiene was not simply about access to sanitary products, but also about ensuring girls had accurate and essential information to make informed decisions about their health.

“We gave them sanitary ware and make sure that we create supportive families and communities, privacy, water and sanitation facilities, safe disposal options and an environment where they can talk about menstruation without shame,” she said.

The girls highlighted a number of challenges they experience in managing menstruation.

One beneficiary highlighted the cost of menstrual products as a challenge for many girls, with menstrual products sometimes receiving low priority when families make difficult spending decisions.

She explained that some girls resort to using cloth, which can sometimes cause skin irritation depending on the material.

“Sometimes we use cloth because buying pads can be expensive,” Tendai Moyo (18) said. “When it comes to household priorities, menstrual products are often among the things considered last

“The problem with using cloth is that sometimes it is not suitable and can cause skin irritation.

“We need affordable menstrual products so that girls do not rely on materials that may make them uncomfortable or affect their health.”

Talent Munetsi (16) spoke about the impact of heavy menstrual bleeding, leakage and stigma at school.

“When I am on my period, I hate going to school because I bleed heavily and sometimes my clothes may be stained,” she said.

“Once, when it happened, I was shamed by my classmates, especially the boys, and that experience has stayed with me.

“Even now, I feel that people at school will always remember me because of that incident. It has affected how I feel about going to school when I am on my period.”

Another beneficiary highlighted the challenge of menstrual pain and expectations placed on girls at home:

“I experience menstrual cramps almost every time I have my period, but I still have to do my work at home,” she said.

“Sometimes people do not understand that menstrual health affects how we feel physically and emotionally.”

She also raised concerns about the lack of privacy and appropriate menstrual waste disposal facilities:

“At some schools and public places, there are no sanitary bins or proper disposal facilities for used pads,” she said.

“Sometimes girls end up carrying used pads in their bags and taking them home to dispose of them. This can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, and it shows why schools and public facilities need safe and private menstrual hygiene facilities.”

Mrs Chifamba said these experiences demonstrate that menstrual hygiene challenges extend beyond the availability of menstrual products.

“Affordability, stigma, menstrual pain, household expectations, privacy and sanitation all influence how girls experience their periods and participate in school and community life,” she said.

“Shamwari Yemwanasikana’s work on menstrual health also includes training girls and women in reusable pad production at our Tariro Yedu One Stop Empowerment Centre in Seke and the Chihota Donhodzo Healing House.”

She said the reusable pad initiative promotes long-term and more sustainable menstrual health solutions by equipping participants with practical skills to produce reusable menstrual products.

This, she said, helps address some of the affordability and accessibility challenges that girls and women face.