adminDaisy Jeremani Gender Editor
IN an effort to promote menstrual hygiene among young girls from poor backgrounds, a Bulawayo-based non-profit child protection and development organisation Vana VeZimbabwe (VAVEZI), will in the next few months be in Matabeleland South, distributing sanitary ware to disadvantaged girls.
In an interview on Tuesday, an official from the organisation Josh Nyapimbi said this move has been necessitated by the outcome of a baseline survey by VAVEZI in selected schools in Umzingwane and Umguza rural districts last year.
The baseline survey was done in selected schools in the two rural districts last year and revealed that 52 percent of all schools had no doors on their latrines, 92 percent had no functional hand-washing facilities and 99 percent had no soap, all of which would make it very difficult for young girls to easily manage their menstrual period.
“Needless to labour the point that 98 percent of the girls participating in the survey needed support with sanitary ware and in the long term there was need to empower local communities particularly women or school health clubs on how to produce cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly sanitary ware locally,” Nyapimbi said.
Adolescence and puberty are often challenging for girls in Zimbabwe particularly those in poor families or rural communities. The silence, stigma and taboos surrounding menstruation, keeps young girls ignorant about how to handle it. Girls may be scared when having their first menstrual period and are constantly frightened that they will leak on their school uniforms. The embarrassment of being teased by other school children, particularly boys, has seen some miss school during their monthly period.
Nyapimbi said education around puberty and menstruation in schools is inadequate or non-existent, with many teachers having limited understanding on sanitary health.
Nyapimbi added: “All this can lead to absence from school and can contribute to girls’ school dropout.
“Lack of sanitation, hand-washing facilities and hygiene education in schools makes it even more difficult for girls to handle menstruation. VAVEZI also plans to produce a booklet with basic information on menstrual hygiene. The booklet would also clarify myths and taboos that often surround menstruation,” he said.
The widespread distribution of the booklet will not only empower girls with knowledge, but will also increase their self-esteem and ultimately their school attendance.
In addition, empowered girls will help their female relatives at home and in the community to deal better with menstruation issues.
It is expected that once the booklet is in the hands of young girls they will also share with siblings, female relatives, and girls who are not in school, expanding the knowledge and good practice further.
Last year, a local organisation, Integrated Sustainable Livelihoods (ISL) published a report, whose shocking findings showed that due to lack of resources, some young girls in Zimbabwe are using pieces of cloth, newspapers, cow dung and tissues as sanitary ware during their monthly menstruation.
Online Reporter