Kampala, (UG):– Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU), a Ugandan youth-led non-profit organisation focused on youth empowerment programs has launched a fundraising drive which aims to procure 20,000 sanitary pads for girls in the Busoga region.
The drive comes against the backdrop of recent reports making rounds on Radio, TV and online showcasing how girls in the eastern Busoga region grapple with menstruation, which is an entry point for most of the sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) in the country.
The report indicated that a section of girls in the Busoga sub-region are moulding sanitary pads and some using soil due to limited access to safe menstrual health hygiene products.
READ HERE: BUSOGA: Girls resort to sponge, soil-made pads for menstrual hygiene
While unveiling the drive, RAHU Founder and Director, Mr Humphrey Nabimanya said, “It is imperative for us to come together and recognise the realities of menstrual health hygiene among young girls and women in Uganda.
He explained that the drive is aimed at contributing to “the creation of a more robust supportive environment for young women regarding menstrual health and hygiene.”
Mr Nabimanya was Tuesday speaking at the official premiere for ‘Sabotage’ a drama produced by Reach a Hand Uganda, directed by Mathew Nabwiso and starring Stella Natumbwe, Sharifa Ali and Jjemba Dean Austin at Century Cinemax Acacia Mall.
The film is set around a traditional wedding (‘kwanjula’) which explores the themes of sexual violence, unsafe abortion and tradition to raise awareness around Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) in Uganda.
At the film premiere, Over shs5 million was raised from the guests in attendance and the campaign is set to run up to March, 8, (Women’s Day).
A recent report by World Vision International indicates insufficient menstrual hygiene management in Ugandan schools contributes to a dropout rate of up to 10% of girls at the primary level.
Similarly, a Ministry of Education and Sports report on the implementation of menstrual health management in Uganda indicated that about 23% of Ugandan girls aged 12-18 drop out of school when they begin menstruation – which is partially due to the stigma developed as a result of failing to keep themselves clean.
Reach A Hand Uganda joins several NGOs and foundations such as Msichana Uganda who have recently come out to aid girls in the Busoga Sub-region with sanitary pad donations to help them navigate the menstrual cycles.
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