In a world that is constantly evolving, one thing remains unchanged – the importance of education and good health for every child. Yet, there are countless young girls in underserved communities who face unique challenges that can threaten their access to education and overall well-being. In a heartwarming collaboration, the Network Girl Tech Initiative Uganda, in partnership with Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, Rohi International, and their esteemed clients, McDermott and Total Energies, set out on a mission to make a difference. The outreach program at Kibambura Primary School in Bulisa District touched the lives of many, aiming to address issues related to menstrual health, reproductive rights, and the stigma surrounding menstruation.

As an Initiative we are dedicated to supporting girls in underserved communities by providing them with essential resources and knowledge. This time, our focus was on addressing the unique challenges related to menstrual health and reproductive rights. The outreach program also aimed to eliminate the stigma associated with menstruation and empower both girls and boys with valuable information.

Empowering the Girls

Kibambura Primary School is home to approximately 290 girls, with 90 of them already experiencing menstruation. The initiative’s first step was to provide these young girls with free reusable pads, a vital resource that can make a significant difference in their lives. The girls were not only given these practical items, but they were also equipped with knowledge about menstrual health, the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and the damaging effects of period stigma. This comprehensive approach ensured that the girls were not only given the tools they needed but also empowered with knowledge to navigate these crucial aspects of life.

Community Engagement and Beyond

The impact of this outreach program extended beyond the school gates. Community leaders were engaged and encouraged to collaborate with guardians of young girls, ensuring that the fight against period stigma and early marriages is a collective effort. They were also urged to be environmental stewards, emphasizing the importance of keeping both girls and boys in school. It is through these collective efforts that the team hopes to bring about lasting change in Bulisa and the surrounding areas.

Inclusivity and Awareness

We took an inclusive approach, making sure that boys were not left behind. They were also given the opportunity to learn about these essential topics. This approach is key to fostering open conversations, breaking down taboos, and building a more understanding and supportive community.

Donations that Matter

The outreach program went beyond education and awareness. The team generously donated 200 reusable pads, 120 pairs of underwear (nickers), as well as pens and pencils, essentials for education and empowerment. These tangible contributions serve as a foundation for the girls’ continued education.

Challenges Uncovered

During this outreach, several significant challenges came to light:

1. Lack of Access to Menstrual Health Resources: Access to menstrual health and SRHR information remains a challenge in these areas. Many school-going girls lack sanitary products, and the stigma surrounding menstruation can lead to girls skipping school. The headmistress, Miss Violet, expressed gratitude for the reusable pads donated and urged more support for disadvantaged communities.
2. Stigma Surrounding Menstruation: Initially, the girls were hesitant and embarrassed to discuss their menstrual health. However, as the sessions progressed, they began to open up. This highlights the need for comprehensive SRHR and menstrual health education.
3. Limited Knowledge: Due to the stigma, many girls had limited knowledge about menstrual hygiene and reproductive health. This knowledge gap can lead to absenteeism and early marriages.
4. Lack of Access to Clean Water: The unavailability of running water and soap at schools in the Tilenga area is a pressing issue. Girls have to travel long distances to access clean water during their periods, leading to missed classes and poor period hygiene practices.
5. Lack of Role Models: Many girls in disadvantaged schools lack role models to inspire them to stay in school. Female role models are crucial in empowering these girls and showing them a pathway to a brighter future. You can register in our volunteer section to become a mentor to a girl.

Interventions Needed

To address these challenges, several key interventions are necessary:

• Comprehensive SRHR and Menstrual Health Education: Schools should incorporate SRHR and menstrual health education into their curricula, ensuring it’s inclusive and accessible to all.
• Female Role Models and Mentors: Disadvantaged schools need frequent visits from female role models and mentors to inspire girls to stay in school.
• WASH Programs: The availability of clean water, proper hygiene, and sanitation is essential, especially for girls menstruating at school.
• Provision of Shoes: Many children in these areas lack shoes, making their long journey to school even more challenging.
• Climate Change Education: Introducing climate change as an additional learning subject can raise awareness and empower students to address environmental issues.

The outreach program in Bulisa serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that can be made when individuals and organizations come together with a shared mission. Our work as The Network Girl Tech Initiative Uganda and partners is show the world that breaking down barriers and empowering young girls is not just a dream but an achievable reality. By addressing the challenges surrounding menstrual health, period stigma, and SRHR, we are creating a brighter future for the girls. You can support/donate to help us make a lasting impact and empower the next generation.

Remarks

Special thanks go to TotalEnergiesUG, McDermott, Rohi, MadshotPhotography, Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, and all partners, donors, and volunteers who made this impactful journey possible.

Karuma, a picturesque region with its unique charm, has its own set of challenges. The Network Girl Tech Initiative, in collaboration with Sogea Satom, ventured into this community, determined to address some of these pressing issues. The outreach program aimed to provide girls, young women, mothers, and a women’s community with reusable pads. It also sought to gauge the need for knowledge about sanitary reusable pads, uncover the stigma surrounding menstrual health, and assess the level of climate knowledge in this unique corner of the world.

Educating the Future

At the heart of the outreach effort were 67 girls from two schools in Karuma. They were the focus of educational sessions that covered menstruation, climate change, and the distribution of reusable pads. These young girls were not just provided with the tools they need for their menstrual health but were also empowered with knowledge that will help them navigate crucial aspects of life.

Revealing the Challenges

During the outreach, several important challenges came to light:

1. Menstrual Stigma: There’s a pervasive stigma surrounding menstruation in Karuma. Many of the girls in the sampled schools exhibited hesitancy, shyness, and embarrassment when it came to discussing their menstrual health. The presence of boys in one of the schools only seemed to amplify this embarrassment.
2. Limited Knowledge: Due to the stigma attached to menstrual health, there’s a significant lack of discussion and education on the topic. Many girls have limited knowledge about menstrual hygiene and reproductive health, leading to potential absenteeism and early marriages.
3. Education Disparities: The trend of school attendance is uneven, particularly from primary five to primary seven. This discrepancy suggests that numerous girls drop out of school due to various reasons, including menstruation, early pregnancy, and early marriage.
4. Climate Ignorance: Surprisingly, there was a lack of awareness about climate change in both the schools and among women quarrying in the community.

Interventions Needed

To address these challenges, a multi-faceted approach is essential:

1. Comprehensive Education: There’s an urgent need to introduce education on sexual and reproductive rights, break the stigma surrounding menstruation, and ensure that both boys and girls are well-informed. This education should include the distribution of reusable pads and teaching girls how to make and use them.
2. Mentorship and Encouragement: Encouraging girls to stay in school is crucial. This can be achieved by connecting them with mentors and inviting accomplished women to share their success stories, serving as inspiration. You can become a mentor today by signing up with us in the volunteer section.
3. Climate Education: Recognizing the importance of climate change, introducing it as an additional learning subject can raise awareness. Practical climate action activities can be carried out in schools and women’s communities to promote knowledge sharing.

A Note of Gratitude

We express our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi for generously donating reusable sanitary pads for this specific outreach. Her contribution has made a significant difference in the lives of the girls and women of Karuma.

The outreach to Karuma has shed light on the unique challenges faced by this community, particularly concerning menstrual health, education, and climate knowledge. It is evident that there is much work to be done to empower and uplift the girls and women of Karuma. By breaking the silence surrounding menstrual health, providing comprehensive education, and introducing the concept of climate change, we can foster a brighter future for this community.

It is an urgent call to action. Together, we can support these girls and women, ensuring they have the knowledge, resources, and opportunities to thrive and succeed. The road ahead may be challenging, but with the right support and dedication, we can make a lasting impact in disadvantaged communities like Karuma, helping the girls and women, both in terms of menstrual health and climate change.

Your donations can make a significant difference in the lives of these girls and women. Join us in this crucial mission to empower girls and women in disadvantaged communities and break the silence. Together, we can create a brighter, more informed, and resilient future for all.

Women’s rights and climate change might seem like two distinct issues, but they are deeply intertwined. Women, especially in vulnerable communities, are disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate change. Today, we will explore the intersection of women’s rights and climate change, shedding light on how environmental shifts impact the lives of women and girls around the world. 

Climate Change and Women: A Disproportionate Burden

1. Unequal Access to Resources: In many societies, women have limited access to resources and decision-making processes. Climate change often exacerbates these inequalities as they are responsible for securing water, food, and fuel, which become scarcer in a changing climate.
2. Impact on Livelihoods: Climate change can disrupt traditional livelihoods, such as agriculture and fisheries, which are significant sources of income for many women in developing countries. This leads to financial insecurity, exacerbating the vulnerability of women.
3. Health Risks: Climate-related disasters and changing weather patterns can affect women’s health, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth. Increased vector-borne diseases, like malaria and dengue fever, also pose additional health risks to women.
4. Displacement and Migration: Climate change-induced disasters, such as hurricanes and flooding, often force communities to migrate. Women and girls are more likely to experience sexual violence and exploitation in the wake of these displacements.
5. Loss of Education Opportunities and Introduction to Early Marriage: Girls’ education is often interrupted due to extreme weather events or the increased demand for their labor within families affected by climate change. Some of these families go ahead to marry off the girls at a very tender age to get bride price to cater for the needs at home that are no longer met due to the climate disasters. Lack of education perpetuates gender inequalities.

Empowering Women and girls in the Face of Climate Change

1. Access to Education: One of the most effective ways to empower women is by ensuring they have access to education. Educated women are more likely to adapt to the changing climate, find alternative livelihoods, and make informed decisions for their families. We strongly advocate for women and girls’ education and one of our programs encourages you to sponsor girl.
2. Economic Empowerment: Promoting economic opportunities for women through sustainable livelihoods and entrepreneurship can help them adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. One of our programs Reusable Pads for Climate (production De Servitettes Reutilisables) encourages economic empowerment to the women and girls by providing them with an activity of making reusable pads they can manufacture and sell to earn a living. You can be part of this economic empowerment by making a donation towards the program.
3. Gender-Responsive Policies: Governments and organizations should adopt gender-responsive policies that recognize and address the unique challenges faced by women in a changing climate. 
4. Healthcare Services: Improving access to healthcare services and family planning is essential for addressing women’s health concerns in a warming world.

Support Women and Girls Resilience

Empowering women and girls and supporting their resilience in the face of climate change is not just a matter of justice; it’s also an effective strategy for mitigating the environmental impact. When women and girls have the knowledge, resources, and opportunities to adapt and thrive in a changing climate, their communities are more likely to do the same.

You can make a difference by donating/supporting our work dedicated to women’s and girls’ rights and climate resilience. Your donations can help provide education, economic opportunities, healthcare services, and advocacy for gender-responsive policies. Together, we can empower women to not only withstand the challenges of climate change but also become agents of positive change in their communities.

The intersection of women’s rights and climate change is an urgent issue that requires our attention and action. By understanding the unique challenges that women face in a changing climate and supporting their resilience, we can make a significant impact on both gender equality and environmental sustainability. It’s time to recognize the essential role that women play in addressing climate change and to stand together in support of their rights and opportunities. Make a donation today to help women and girls thrive in a world that is rapidly changing, for their sake and for the health of our planet.

We are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking new project that marks a significant step forward in empowering women and combating gender-based violence (GBV) in Nora, Oyam. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of ISSA (Sogea Satom), we are launching a Skilling Reusable Pad Manufacturing Centre that will serve as a beacon of hope and opportunity for women in the region.

Empowering Women, One Pad at a Time.

The Skilling Reusable Pad Manufacturing Centre will play a multifaceted role in our community. Not only will it provide a sustainable solution to menstrual health through the production of reusable pads, but it will also offer a range of services aimed at empowering women and creating lasting change.

**1. A Safe Haven: The centre will act as a sanctuary for women who have experienced GBV. By providing a safe and supportive environment, we aim to offer refuge and a path towards healing and stability.

**2. Employment Opportunities: Our initiative will create job opportunities for local women, enabling them to earn a sustainable income while contributing to the community. The skills they gain will be invaluable in fostering economic independence and growth.

**3. Skill Development: Beyond manufacturing, the centre will offer training in essential business skills, computer literacy, and climate change awareness. These programs are designed to equip women with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive in today’s digital and eco-conscious world.

**4. Climate Change Awareness: As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, we will incorporate climate change education into our training programs. Understanding the impact of climate change and learning how to implement eco-friendly practices will be an integral part of our mission.

A Collaborative Effort for Lasting Impact

This initiative represents a collaborative effort to address critical issues faced by women in Nora, Oyam. ISSA Sogea Satom’s sponsorship is instrumental in bringing this vision to life, and we are deeply grateful for their support. Their investment is not just in a manufacturing centre, but in the future of countless women and their families.

Looking Ahead

We are excited about the positive impact this project will have on our community. The Skilling Reusable Pad Manufacturing Centre is more than just a place of work—it’s a catalyst for change, empowerment, and resilience. Through this initiative, we hope to inspire others to support similar efforts and contribute to building a world where every woman has the opportunity to succeed and live without fear.

Stay tuned for updates as we move forward with the development of the centre. We look forward to sharing more about the progress and the lives transformed through this initiative.

For more information or to get involved, please contact us at info@ngtiu.org.

Together, we can make a difference and build a brighter future for women in Nora, Oyam.