Advancing Menstrual Health and Sexual and Reproductive Health through Awareness, Education, and Microenterprise

  • P Project/Program

? Activity Status: Unknown

Key Information

Girls’ lives are being disrupted by their periods. In Africa, girls can miss between 3-5 days of school each month if they don’t have menstrual pads. This causes them to fall behind academically and socially, sometimes dropping out altogether. Some girls resort to using unsafe substitutes for pads, like mattress filling, leaves or dirty cloth. Some resort to risky behaviors like transactional sex to pay for essential items, such as menstrual pads, increasing their vulnerability to violence and compromising their health. Our mission is to support Africa’s most vulnerable girls and young women by providing reusable menstrual pads in conjunction with sexual and reproductive health education and life skills workshops. It’s a sustainable and comprehensive solution we refer to as the Huru System.


Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Government Affiliation

Non-governmental program

Years

Not applicable or unknown

Partner(s)

Not applicable or unknown

Ministry Affiliation

Unknown

Funder(s)

Not applicable or unknown

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

Global / regional

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Other skills

  • Life skills/sexuality education

Cross-cutting areas

  • HIV and STIs
  • Menstrual hygiene management
  • Other aspects of sexual and reproductive health

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Girls (both in school and out of school), Youth

Age

12 - 19

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

  • Lower secondary
  • Upper secondary

Other populations reached

  • Boys (both in school and out of school)
  • Youth

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Health and childcare services

  • HIV prevention
  • Sexual and reproductive health services (including family planning)

Menstrual hygiene management

  • Educating girls about menstruation
  • Raising awareness about menstruation (beyond just girls)
  • Sanitary product distribution

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

Not applicable or unknown

Cross-cutting goals

  • Improved health - other
  • Improved sexual and reproductive health
  • Increased knowledge of HIV, puberty, and sexual and reproductive health