【Educational Environment】Facilitating Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) session by MHM peer club

This is the second phase of the project on ‘Improvement of school environment to combat Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) challenges to Stop Adolescent Girls’ School Dropouts in Uganda’ supported by funds from the Lush Charity Bank of Lush Japan, Co., Ltd.

Students having a group photo after the session

At this time, we will report about Activity 2-2-2 ‘Facilitating Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) session by MHM peer club’ conducted in Nov 2018.

Three MHM clubs (8girls&4boys) were formed from 3 target schools. The purpose of these clubs was to spearhead MHM, gender awareness and sex education by reaching out to fellow students through the child-child approach. Last time, The MHM clubs conducted gender awareness raising sessions (one session in each of the three schools) toward their school pupils. This time, they conducted MHM session, and club members trained their peers on issues related to MHM including making of reusable sanitary pads

MHM club facilitating MHM training

Demonstrating how to use a reusable sanitary pad

The club members demonstrating how the material is used

MHM club taught their peers about proper personal hygiene management

Topics

●      General overview of menstruation.

●      Menstrual cycle.

●      Signs and symptoms/ characteristics of menstruation.

●      Menstrual Hygiene Management.

●      Making of reusable sanitary pad.

Outcome

●      Pupils understood what menstruation is and who are the people starting their menstruation periods.

●      624 pupils (215 boys and 409 girls) were trained in MHM and the boys will fight against the habit of bullying girls whenever their clothes are stained with blood.

●      School managers pledged to continue supporting the clubs and appreciated their roles.

●      All the 3 project schools accepted to allocate time in every week for the MHM club activities especially in reusable sanitary pad making.

Click on the following link to view the report on

‘Activity 2-2-2 Facilitating MenstruationHygiene Management (MHM) session by MHM peer club‘

*This project is supported by Lush Japan Co., Ltd.

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【Educational Environment】Child-child gender awareness by Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Peer clubs

This is the second phase of the project on ‘Improvement of school environment to combat Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) challenges to Stop Adolescent Girls’ School Dropouts in Uganda’ supported by funds from the Lush Charity Bank of Lush Japan, Co., Ltd..

Students attending gender awareness training

At this time, we will report about Activity 2-2-1 ‘Child-child gender awareness by MHM Peer clubs’ conducted in May 2018.

Three MHM clubs (8girls&4boys) were formed from 3 target schools. The purpose of these clubs was to spearhead MHM, gender awareness and sex education by reaching out to fellow students through the child-child approach. 

Last time, they were trained in MHM, gender awareness and sex education, including sexual and reproductive health rights awareness. 

This time, the clubs conducted gender awareness raising sessions (one session in each of the three schools) toward their school pupils.

Preparing for the gender training by MHM club

Facilitating the training by MHM club

Noting down what learners have learnt from the training

Topics

●      Differentiating gender and sex

●      Examples of gender-based characteristics

●      Different gender roles and responsibilities

●      Roles of students/pupils as change agents

●       Roles of teachers/educators as change agents

* Change agents’ means a model or to be used as leaders of change to spread knowledge and information to other community members

  

Outcome

●      Pupils were able to differentiate gender and sex

●      MHM club facilitators clearly indicated that sex and gender

●      At the end of the training, pupils were able to freely mention most of the gender roles and responsibilities segregated according to gender.

●      The MHM club members informed pupils about their roles and responsibilities as change agents. Female pupils (girls) were tasked to act as promoters and advocates against Sexual Gender Based Violence.

●      Teachers were also reminded of their roles and responsibilities in promoting an environment that is gender sensitive.

Click on the following link to view the report on

‘Activity2-2-1 Facilitating gender awareness session by MHM peer club ‘

*This project is supported by Lush Japan Co., Ltd.

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【Environmental Protection】School based environmental education and awareness campaigns

Hello, this is Global Bridge Network (GBN)!

Regarding ‘Environmental Protection through Expanding Lemon grass growing and Education in Uganda’, this is the second report of 2nd year of this project.

Environmental Education at school

This time, ‘Activity 1.6: School based environmental education and awareness campaigns’ were carried out on June 2018.

A total of 8,020 children were participated in 16 schools of at least 500 child enrolment.

The purpose of this campaigns

1.     To instill the value of protecting and taking good care of the environment in children’s minds through various environmental conservation measures.

2.     To increase schools’ awareness on environmental protection methods and the reasons why they are needed for example, tree planting, lemon grass growing, and environmental conservation laws among others.

Environmental Education at school

Environmental Education at school

The outcomes of this training were as following.

• Children noted how it would be punishable to break school rules related to environment protection.
• School children promised to inform their parents about lessons learnt in order for them to know the importance of conserving the environment.
• Teachers thanked for the support to providing tree seedlings to schools which will help foster environment conservation with in schools and in the community.

These campaigns created mass awareness among school children and teachers, and strength school rules and regulations as well as raise opportunities to take actions for environmental protection.

You can find the details in the reports below,

Activity 1.6 School based environmental education and awareness campaigns

*This project is supported by Japan Fund for Global Environment of the Environmental Restoration (JFGE) and by Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency (ERCA)

【Educational Environment】Community meetings based on awareness of re-usable sanitary pad

This is the second phase of the project on ‘Improvement of school environment to combat Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) challenges to Stop Adolescent Girls’ School Dropouts in Uganda’ supported by funds from the Lush Charity Bank of Lush Japan, Co., Ltd..

SORAK explaining the advantages of reusable sanitary pads

At this time, we will report about Activity 3-2 ‘Conduct 13 parish community meetings based on providing reusable sanitary pad information and awareness raising’

The meetings were intended to promote the use of SORAK-made reusable sanitary pads　as well as to make parents/guardians more aware about their roles and responsibilities in promoting MHM among girls attending school in order to reduce on girl’s absenteeism’s as a result of menstruation.

Topics

• Brief overview of menstrual hygiene management
• Roles of parents in the promotion of menstrual hygiene management for girls attending school
• Introduction of SORAK-made reusable sanitary pads
• Showing the advantages of the reusable sanitary pads
• Applicability/How to use

Demonstrating how a reusable sanitary pad is used with a nicker

Participants attentively learning how to use a SORAK-made reusable pad

　

 Outcome

• At the end of the awareness-raising meetings, participants were able to commit to proper menstrual hygiene management, in addition to knowing the dangers/risks girls are exposed to while using unhygienic menstrual materials.
• Parents who participated in the awareness-raising meetings acknowledged their roles and responsibilities of providing materials for their daughters during menstruation. Some pledged to provide support to their children during menstruation.
• Fifteen (15) promotional sets of reusable sanitary pads were sold during the awareness meetings. SORAK also donated 5 sets of reusable sanitary pads to active participants.
• Thirteen (13) community-based active SORAK sales representatives were successfully identified to find clients in need of reusable pads. This will also help to provide feedback regarding SORAK-made reusable pads from users to SORAK for making quality improvements.

Click on the following link to view the report on ‘Activity:3-2: Conduct 13 parish community meetings based on providing reusable sanitarypad information and awareness raising‘

*This project is supported by Lush Japan Co., Ltd.

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We are invited to the celebration of Ugandan independence day on October 9th!

Hello, we are Global Bridge Network (GBN)!
October 9th is the independence day of Uganda. This is 56th independence day since 1962.
We are really honored to be invited this celebration party by the Ugandan embassy.

Japanese Junior high school students was singing Ugandan anthem!

A lot of people have attended this party!

Ambassador Betty Grace Akech was greeting!

We could attend this celebration with your highly supports for our activities.

We found some Ugandan traditional food...!

Chapati

This is described as "Ugali".
This name is familiar in Kenya! We have called this food"Posho" in Uganda...!

We would like to act to be a bridge with all over the world as our name.
Thank you for your continuous cooperation!

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【Educational Environment】Kick Start sanitary pad production and supply chain

We are implementing the second phase of the project on ‘Improvement of school environment to combat Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) challenges to Stop Adolescent Girls’ School Dropouts in Uganda’ supported by funds from the Lush Charity Bank of Lush Japan, Co., Ltd..

Making sanitary pads at the SORAK shade 

At this time, we will report about Activity 3-1, ‘Kick Start sanitary pad production and supply chain’

The main purpose of this activity is to start a sanitary pad making at the shade of SORAK office and sell them with the affordable price at the local communities so that the project will be sustained by its supply chain. Also, expanding sanitary pad users will help girls to stay school.

 cotton wool (uda) 

 Cutting the materials to make reusable sanitary pads

Inserting buttons on reusable sanitary pads 

Packing the reusable sanitary pads 

 The more sanitary pads sold, the more girls who can stay in school.

Click on the following link to view the report on

 ‘Activity 3-1 Kick start sanitary pad production and supply chain’.

*This project is supported by Lush Japan Co., Ltd.

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Report on “Training of WOMEN and YOUTH in lemon grass growing and environmental protection”

Hello, this is Global Bridge Network (GBN)!

Regarding ‘Environmental Protection through Expanding Lemon grass growing and Education in Uganda’, this is the first report of 2^nd year of this project.

SORAK Executive Director 

discussing the importance of lemon grass growing

 as a measure to environmental protection

Although the project of the second year has been ongoing, we had about some sad news that the lemon grass was affected by Insects in most gardens leading to reduce in quality and as well dry up of lemon grass. 

However, activities have been successfully implemented!

This time, ‘Parish based training of women and youth in lemon grass growing and environmental protection’ were carried out on May 2018.

A total of 161 participants attended and most of them were women with a likely number of about 118 female participants.

The topics were as follows.

• Need to engage the youth and women in lemon grass growing
• Need for a strong desire towards environmental conservation by- laws
• Need for the participants to understand their current role in protecting the environment.
• Importance of lemongrass growing

Participants listening the discussion

The outcomes of this training were as following.

• Encouraged youth and women to take on lemon grass growing as well as other environmental conservation activities like tree planting.
• Tasked all parish-based leaders to keep on patrolling the environment to ensure its protection.
• Emphasized putting in place harsh measures to those that have broken the environment related laws and regulations.

Therefore, the participants discussed pertinent issues that have led to the massive environmental degradation as well as discover for themselves about environmental degradation vices and laws of protection throughout their respective parishes.

You can find the details in the reports below,

Activity 1.4 and 1.5 Training of women&youth in lemon grass growing and environmental protection

*This project is supported by Japan Fund for Global Environment of the Environmental Restoration (JFGE) and by Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency (ERCA)

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【Educational Environment】Formation of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM Club)

We are implementing the second phase of the project on ‘Improvement of school environment to combat Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) challenges to Stop Adolescent Girls’ School Dropouts in Uganda’ supported by funds from the Lush Charity Bank of Lush Japan, Co., Ltd..

Participants mentioning the names of the pupils 
they wish to have as members of the MHM club

At this time, we will report about Activity 2-1, ‘Facilitate MHM trainees to form 3 MHM clubs in schools’ implemented in March 2018.

The ‘MHM Club’ uses a Child-to-Child approach in which children train other fellow pupils on conducting Menstruation Hygiene Management (MHM), gender awareness and sex education with the technical assistance and guidance of the SORAK team and senior teachers.

* Based on the Child-to-Child approach, children who have skills and knowledge will teach fellow pupils.

The main purpose of forming these MHM clubs is to ensure sustainability and project ownership in cooperation with school teachers so that these clubs will remain and continue operating even after the end of the project. Pupils in these clubs will continue training their peers on MHM, including making reusable sanitary pads.

Each target school was given the opportunity to identify 8 girls and 4 boys who will be a member of MHM clubs. The students who had participated in activity 1.1 Child-Child MHM training were brought on board to participate in the formation of MHM clubs and their own positions in the club. As a result, 80% of pupils who participated in activity 1.1 were selected as MHM club members.  The other 20% of pupils who did not participate in activity 1.1 were selected based on their communication skills, capacity and activeness.

Pupils identifying names of the capable 

and active participants for the MHM club

SORAK staff briefing pupils on 
some of the roles and responsibilities of the club

Group photo of new members of MHM club

Responsibilities of MHM Club members in three schools

1. Conducting MHM, which includes providing awareness on issues concerning menstruation, counseling and making of reusable sanitary pads
2. Providing training on gender issues, sex education and reproductive health rights taking a Child-to-Child approach
3. Looking for market in communities and schools for already made reusable sanitary pads

Click on the following link to view the report on

 ‘Activity 2-1Facilitate MHM trainees to form 3 MHM peer clubs’.

*This project is supported by Lush Japan Co., Ltd.

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