REPORT FOR THE ST ANDREW HIGH SCHOOL OUT REACH
For many girls in Uganda, life stops when menstruation periods begin. Girls in rural Uganda miss
up to 8 days of study each term which translates to 11% of the total learning days in a year. It’s
a school absence rate they makes it hard for the girl to make up for and partly accounts for
girls dropping out of school because they in their periods and this is always due to lack of wash
rooms at school , lack of sanitary pads and bullying by their peers. Most studies have confirmed
that girls have confessed using a cloth called a, kitenge which they get from their mothers while
others improvised with the cloth nappies used by their younger siblings. It’s still shocking that
some girls use dry leaves to try soak up the blood in emergency situations. Not only are these
girls dealing with lack of materials, but they are also stigmatized by cultural attitudes that label
or regard menstruating women and girls as dirty. Many girls grow up dreading their periods
because of the social stigma associated with menstruation, as well as lack of services and
facilities to help them. It’s important to note that while that happens people are still silent
about it because majority don’t see the negative impact it has on the life of a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that’s why Uganda youth and adolescents health forum in partnership with public health
Ambassadors Uganda they are surely determined to not only break the silence on
menstruation periods but also demystifying the myths and negative cultural attitudes that
have for a long time affected a menstruating girl and woman under their campaign dubbed
ENSONGA. This is done through provision of correct information, building the self-esteem of
girls that have been already victims of this stigmatization and discrimination and giving out
sanitary wear to the girls in these schools.
And this time around we took the “gospel “to st Andrews High School in wakiso district. Girls in
this school were not any different from the other girls in the others schools that we have been
to, or any other menstruating girl in the country or at large, they were facing similar challenges
as highlighted above.
“My mother only buys me one packet of always pads every term. But this is not enough for 3
months I hence use my old socks to pad myself when I finish the pack until another term”
says shamirah of s3 (not real name)
“I have never used the pads but I have seen them with my friends, I use pieces of my old t
shirts to pad myself but they aren’t thick enough and I bleed a lot so I choose to stay home
and lie to my aunt that am sick for fear of soiling my uniform in class and the boys make fun
of me)”MERCY (not really names). Such cases and more are evident enough that the girls in
this school weren’t exceptional when it comes to the challenges that other menstruating girls /
women in Uganda and in the world face. But am glad to report and confirm that by the time we
left the school hope restored and boosted the confidence of at least 200 girls that we
interfaced with
Male involvement will never stop being part of this campaign, we find it really instrumental in
breaking the stigma hence during the sessions in this school outreach we split the participants
into two groups , according to their gender to promote privacy and confidentiality and
encourage dialogue, participation and opening up by all participants.
Anna and Faith took on the girls while Patrick and cliff took on the boys, on the girls side Anna
lead the session by first of all, assuring the girls that whatever they were going to share was not
going to be reported to the teachers and there requested them to open up and ask all they
needed to know not forgetting the challenges they were facing as they menstruate.
The senior woman teacher introduces as she gave her opening remarks and asked the girls to
be cooperative and disciplined during the session
Anna led the discussion that featured core knowledge on menstrual hygiene and management,
touching on key issues that varied from;
 Puberty and the key changes that happen during this stage for the
both boys and girls. In an interactive way the participants themselves
contributed to the discussion by noting some of these signs below a
s key signs of puberty ,namely :
1. Growth of breasts
2. Girls starting to menstruate ,
3. Growing hips
4. Getting attracted to members of the opposite sex
5. Deep voice for boys
6. Developing funny smell among other changes
7. Growth of pubic hair among other body changes.
Anatomy; external and internal body part especially the sexual reproductive organs and the
description of their functions ‘
Menstrual cycle including the 4 key stages where key events take place i.e. the steps that define
menstruation as continuous process with slow progressions and overlap between stage.
.she continued to call upon the girls to be proud of the fact that they menstruate as this is
evidence that they are adults and are capable of becoming mothers at one point in time when
they are of age.
Anna takes the girls through puberty and body changes as the students attentively listen.
Our team went ahead to address menstruation management with different products one when
can use when she is menstruating and how to use them which included the
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Disposable pads
Reusable pads
A tampon
A menstruation cup
Cotton cloth
And a toilet paper
Cotton and gauze
The different products used in managing periods as exhibited by our team during the session.
Faith demonstrates how girls can use cotton and gauze to manage their periods looking on, in
a floral blouse is the senior woman teacher.
They noted that the above are the different materials that a girl can use to pad herself as she
menstruates noting that one can use anything they are comfortable with or that’s more
convenient in terms of both cost and accessibility and convinced and did demonstration on
how to use each of them however she cautioned the girls to only use toilet paper if they can’t
get something else to use because toilet paper it drops particles if it becomes wet and they
can cause an infection.
As part of menstruation package and according to the needs assessment that we conduct
we noted that young girls were having challenges with symptoms of menstruation periods
especially with the pain that are commonly referred to as cramps and we gave them the
different methods through which they can subsidize the pain and they included
 Use of painkillers like ibruffen and Panadol, these we encouraged them to use them only
if the pain is too much and unbearable, especially the headache, severe back ache,
abdominal pain.
 The use of the water bottle where they can fill it with hot water, cover it properly to avoid
accidents and lie on it.
 Doing regular excise as preventive measure
Our team explained to the girls that sometimes these symptoms are individual hence they vary
from one person to another however they emphasized that they are normal.
Our team emphasized the need to be hygienic and protect the environment during menstruation
periods, through washing ones hands properly and demonstrated how one can wash their hands
clean
The girls are shown on how well to wrap a used pad before they dispose it off
She emphasized that they need to properly dispose off their used pads not in flashing toilets but
in pit latrines or properly.
They also emphasized that girls need to shower at least two times a day and wash their panties
on a daily basis which they should allow to dry before wearing them.
In feedback the girls were inquisitive to know-how well to calculate safe days?
In response the team noted that safe days are not safe at all and they cannot be relied on as
safe method of family planning. The team called on these girls to abstain from sex until they
are of age or if they simply can’t wait they should embrace the use of condoms which is the
safest way have sex.
The girls also inquired why some girls miss periods and the team in responded that there are so
many reasons why girls miss their periods and they include ,stress, vigorous exercises ,some
dietary issues and pregnancy.
On the side of boys, Patrick Mwesigye and team told the boys that menstruation is a normal
process for all women and girls in the reproductive age and it’s a proper sign that a girl or woman
is healthy .He added that when girls are in their periods or about to start their periods undergo
pain, which includes back and abdominal, head ache, get mood swings among others. With such
emotions and pain Paul noted that girls need to be loved and supported, cared for and comforted
to undergo such hard times. Girls under go this process every month and there is no scientific
evidence that has proved that periods makes women unclean or less of a human being. In actual
sense they make women normal, healthy just like the way boys wet dream and have erections
every morning.
Patrick called on the boys to be brand ambassadors for improved menstrual hygiene and
management to support girls go through menstruation with dignity.
Patrick as he calls on the boys to support the girls during menstruation periods
We concluded the outreach by giving out reusable pads to the girls, IEC materials to the students
and the school library with different messages on menstruation and other SRH information,
talking compounds to the school for them to act as reminder to not only support the girls during
menstruation periods by not laughing at them and stigmatizing them but also creating an
enabling environment for them to menstruate with dignity.
We also up a menstrual hygiene club in the school, whose roles are making sure that there is an
enabling environment at school for the girl to menstruate with dignity through ensuring that
there changing rooms for the girl, the girls in their periods can access to clean and running water
and to make sure that there proper disposing materials in place to make sure that girls safely
dispose off their pads.
Our team with Teacher Simon the deputy head teacher for the school as they show off the
talking compounds received, in orange is madam Catherine our contact teacher as she posses
with some of the ICE materials received and in uniform are some of the prefects with some of
our advocacy messages. Below some of the girls show off the reusable pads they received
from our team