Distribution of sanitary pads and underwear to girls at st. Joseph the worker primary school – Karonga
Report compiled by Fr. Denis S. Chitete, St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral, Karonga, Malawi.
The sanitary materials (underwear and sanitary pads) from the 2019 Container were distributed to girls at St. Joseph the Worker Primary School.
The beneficiaries were identified by members of the “Mother Group” and the Head teacher. The “Mother Group” is a team of women who are selected by the local community and are given the responsibility to accompany every “girl-child” in school. They give advice to young girls as they pass from childhood to adolescence. They also give tips to girls regarding their hygiene especially during menstruation. The ultimate objective of the group is to reduce the high level of school drop-out among girls and to prevent early pregnancies which are also quite common among girls in Malawi.
Here are some reactions from the “Mother Group, the School Girls and the Head teacher:
Dear Fr. Denis. We the members of the “Mother Group” would like to thank you for the sanitary pads and the underwear which you have given to the girls at our school. May God bless you!
A. M/bisa – Secretary.
Martha Msiska (School pupil): I am so pleased to have received the underwear and the sanitary pads. Before that I have had to go back home from school whenever I was observing my periods. This affected my education. Now, this is not the case.
Anastazia Phiri (School pupil): I didn’t have enough pants and sanitary pads. So I often resorted to just staying back home instead of going to school. I would miss many classes. I am so grateful for these gifts.
Asimenye Mwalwanda (School pupil): My mother would not afford to buy sanitary pads for me every month. This meant that I would not go to school or appear in public when I was in my periods. Thank you for coming to my rescue.
Florence Mkandawire (School pupil): I was so embarrassed when my menstrual blood showed at the back of my school uniform in class. I stayed at home for a number of weeks because I was ashamed of the boys who saw it. Now, that will not happen again to me because I have sanitary pads and pants. Thank you very much.
Clara Moffat (School pupil): I am very thankful for the underwear and sanitary pads. I will not miss classes again. I request that you may also think about the girls in other schools as well. God bless you.
Fishani Mwanganda (School pupil): I only had one under pant and whenever I was in period I didn’t come to school for fear of spoiling that single under pant. So I would miss many classes. Now I won’t face that problem. I am so happy.
Ashula Mwakamogho (School pupil): Your donation has helped to solve the problems that we experience as girls during menstruation. We lack underwear and pads hence it is easy for boys to discover that we have started menstruating. And the boys make fun of us.
Mrs. Ellen Mwafulirwa (Head teacher):
On behalf of the entire staff, I write to inform you that we have received the sanitary materials which you sent to us.
Our school has an enrolment of 400 pupils and almost half of them are girls. About one quarter of the girls are adolescent. These are the ones we targeted as beneficiaries of the materials you sent.
Before we received these materials many adolescent girls used to be absent from school, especially during their time of menstruation. They were feeling uncomfortable to be in class in the presence of boys and their male teachers. Most of them stayed in their homes until their menstruation period was over. Consequently their academic performance was negatively affected. The sanitary materials have helped to reduce absenteeism amongst adolescent girls.
We are sincerely grateful. It is our hope that the cordial relationship that we have built will continue to grow stronger and stronger.
SALUT-Malawi’s specific aim is to provide underwear, soap and reusable sanitary pads to isolated rural villages where such commodities are in scarce supply.We have chosen this narrow focus because living without these basic commodities brings dire consequences for women and girls.