Days for Girls Kenya issues 2,826 menstrual health kits targeting girls in Turkana West

2,826 menstrual health kits target girls in Turkana West

Girls and young women from refugee and host communities in Turkana West are set to receive 2,826 washable menstrual health kits under a new programme targeting period poverty and menstrual health challenges in and around Kakuma.

The four month rapid response menstrual and postpartum health program, implemented by Days for Girls Kenya in partnership with the Turkana County Government, will combine distribution of reusable kits with menstrual health education in schools, communities and health facilities.

The initiative follows an agreement between the County Government and the organisation to improve menstrual and postpartum health outcomes in Turkana signed last month.

Deputy Governor Dr John Erus led the county at an inception meeting with Days for Girls Kenya and said that the intervention would address period poverty, school absenteeism and reproductive health risks among vulnerable girls and young women.

He directed the organization to strictly adhere to the national guidelines on menstrual health education and engage with the county's Directorate of Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation to have the program captured in KIMIS, the county's information management system for tracking development partners operating in the refugee setting.

Under the distribution plan, 1,130 kits, representing 40% of the total, will be distributed through schools, while 1,696 kits will be channelled through health facilities and community-level interventions.

The approach is intended to reach both school-going and out-of-school girls and women.

Days for Girls Kenya Project Manager Annete Muchendiza said the program would combine the provision of reusable menstrual products with education to promote safer menstrual health practices.

“It is our belief that the program will help create a period-positive environment not only in our schools but also in communities, especially those in the refugee setting at Kakuma and Kalobeyei,” she said.

Muchendiza said the program would also involve men and boys in menstrual health education to build wider community support for girls and women.

She said the education component would be delivered using an age-appropriate model, while the decision to work through both schools and health facilities was intended to broaden the program's reach.

“The inclusion of schools and health facilities was intentional to capture both school-going and out-of-school girls, reducing the risk of infection arising from potential use of unhygienic materials,” she said.

The program will target schools and communities in Turkana West, with community health promoters supporting mobilisation, translation, training and follow-up activities.

Before establishing a direct partnership with the county government, Days for Girls Kenya implemented menstrual health advocacy programs in Turkana through local implementing partners.

The organisation is expected to hold sub-county stakeholder meetings in Turkana West before the rollout.