Imara Healthcare/Eganville Rotary
The Eganville Rotary Club has supported the Imara Healthcare Centre since 2012. Located in Nairobi’s Mukura slum, this centre continues to grow it’s in-patient care, operating technology and outreach for empowerment. The Rotary Club and the Healthcare Centre partnered with the Siloam Education Centre in 2018/2019 to provide Menstrual Health Education and Management to female students, and boy to man transition workshops for males.
Quick Facts
Menstrual Health Education and Management
It was felt that school absenteeism would decrease for adolescent girls if feminine health and hygiene information was increased.
Baseline data was collected on school attendance and attitudes towards menstruation before and after information session participation. For example, 80% of the girls felt that menstruation was an abnormality or disease or a problem for “big women” before their education sessions. After, 85% felt confident about approaching their teachers for related information.
Menstrual kits were purchased and distributed to 80 adolescent girls at the Siloam Education Centre. These consisted of a drawstring bag containing three reusable sanitary pads, a bar of soap in a container, a washcloth and panties. The goal was to directly change the lives of the girls as sanitary pads can be expensive and difficult to obtain.
It was decided that boys entering puberty could benefit from the collective funding for this initiative by having them participate in Positive Manhood training during the same morning that the girls were listening to information about menstrual management. This included respectful behaviour towards partners.
Together, the boys and girls participated in an afternoon Life Skills workshop run by teachers and community health workers.
