My Pads Program

My latest project is the My Pads Program at two of the primary schools near the tea estate. The My Pads Program is comprised of seven lessons on reproductive health followed by the making of reusable menstrual pads. The lessons cover life skills, puberty, the menstrual cycle, adolescent pregnancy, STI's, and HIV. The sad truth is the girls over here do not have enough money to buy disposable pads so they either stay home from school during their menstrual cycle, or they use unsanitary things such as rags, paper, or banana tree fibers. An even sadder truth is that some girls exchange sexual favors for money so they can purchase pads. Young girls are constantly the target of older men and fall victim to their advances since they see no other alternative to their daily struggles.

Some of the girls from one of the primary schools that will take part in the My Pads Program.

This program has the amazing potential to change the lives of these children (yes, both girls and boys sit through every lesson and make the reusable menstrual pads... which is kinda funny to watch since the boys get super embarrassed... we tell them they can give the pads they made to their sisters or their girlfriend, but who knows where they actually end up).

The program opens with Life Skills, which teaches about empowerment, decision making, consequences, the importance of confidence and self-respect, and how they can control their future. Giving the facts about pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases has been proven to NOT be enough. The rate of teenage pregnancy and the rate of new HIV infections is still on the rise in this country. So in addition to information, we are encouraging them to make smart choices for themselves.

Then we teach the facts about the reproductive system, no secrets. I've even told them that if they are too embarrassed to ask a question in class, they can write their questions down and the following day I will return to read and answer all of them. Oh boy, I opened a serious can of worms there! My most embarrassing... why do boys have wet dreams. Yes, I'm explaining wet dreams to Ugandan teenagers. I wonder if this is part of the Peace Corps mission?

Lastly, we teach the kids to make the reusable pads and we provide the materials needed to make one pad each. Hopefully they will be able to take this skill home, find the required materials, and make more pads for themselves. This is the part I hate, but... we need money to buy the initial materials to make the pads. I applied for a Peace Corps grant, thinking the money was available within the organization, but have since learned, it is not. They are hoping my friends and family will contribute. When I first came here I promised myself I would not solicit funds from those back home, and here I am breaking that promise.

So, if you want to donate to this program you can online at:
https://donate.peacecorps.gov/donate/project/my-pads-project/

It seems like a relatively small amount of money needed, but it's a huge amount for these people. To put things in perspective, the parents of these children make about $30 a month if they are tea estate employees. If they are from the neighboring villages, they make nothing, they are substance farmers just trying to survive. So, the tea workers are considered well off with an annual salary of $360. Unfortunately, I'm told it's the single men from the company that target the girls. I don't have the power to change those men, but I'm trying my best to get the girls to say no and to stand up for themselves. I'm also hoping that by including the teenage boys in this type of training that I will get them to respect women more and not grow into the nasty men they see on the estate.
 
Just in case you are wondering what a reusable pad looks like, here are a few pictures from a previous lesson I gave at a Girl's Empowerment camp. It costs less a dollar to make two of them and you wash and reuse it. A girl may need a few to allow for drying time (you gotta wear one while you are washing and drying the others). With proper care it should last a year. In addition to saving a ton money, you are saving the environment from all of that horrible plastic required in the making and packaging of disposable pads.