Access to menstrual products is far from guaranteed in Kenya, with 85% of young people using makeshift items such as cow dung, ash, or mattress stuffing, compromising their health and hygiene.
The consequences are profound. Missed school days, diminished productivity, and lost opportunities.
Period poverty becomes a barrier to education and a deterrent to financial independence. In a society where women’s rights and gender equality are still works in progress, this crisis only deepens the divide.
The work Freedom4girls does in Kenya is to empower and educate young people and their periods.
We hire local single Kenyan mothers as seamstresses to produce reusable period packs made from fabric off-cuts, which helps feedback into the Kenyan economy. Since the beginning of our story, we have made 20,000 packs, each going to a young Kenyan girl.
These period packs are distributed to schools and community groups by our trained menstrual health educators. We teach about topics that are taboo, and arm young girls with knowledge about how to use our provided pads, basic menstrual hygiene, and to not be ashamed of their periods.
Each Period Pack
contains the following:
10 reusable pads
2 pairs of underwear
Calendar for period tracking
A carrier bag
Wet bag for used pads
Washing and care instructions
Here’s a glimpse at the work we do in Kenya:
We have found that 10% of girls in rural Kenya under 15 have used sex work as a means to afford period products.
Some of the schools we’ve spoken to have said that since receiving our reusable menstrual products the rates of teenage pregnancy and leaving education have decreased 10 fold. Receiving our period products can dramatically change the life trajectory of a young girl, please consider supporting our journey.