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| Project Team during the SRH session conducted in collaboration with Butambala Women in Development |
<Activities conducted>
1. Radio talk show in Mubende
2. Air Spot Messages to raise awareness on support for
girls’ education and increase on reusable sanitary pad users in all the 3 target
districts
3. Printing
of MHM booklets and Teacher’s training manual in all the 3 target districts
4. Delivery
of sewing machines in the 10 project schools in Mubende
5. Pad
making in Schools in Butambala
6. Community
awareness in Butambala
7. Happy
pad promotion Centre in Wakiso
8. Production
of face masks at the Happy-pad Promotion Centre in Wakiso
1. Radio
talk show in Mubende
One hour radio talk show was conducted at Luna Fm in Mubende on 18/11/2022. The community was reminded about the need to support adolescent girls especially those that cannot afford sanitary material so that they can comfortably stay at school. The major talking point was about proper menstrual management, educating the girl child, the pad making training that will be conducted in the 10 target schools on reusable pad making, their usage and how to keep them clean. Also talked about the sewing machines that were delivered in the respective schools. Listeners were reminded that the pad making training will be conducted after the Ebola situation has stabilized.
2. Air Spot Messages to raise awareness on support for
girls’ education and increase on reusable sanitary pad users
Spot messages about Menstrual Hygiene
Management, girls’ education and reusable sanitary pad are aired as follows;
· Mubende via Luna FM 6 times a day.
· Wakiso via Voice of Kiryagonja 10 times a day.
· Butambala aired 11 times at Voice of Butende and 10 times at Voice of Kikambwe.
3. Printing of MHM Booklets and Teacher’s Training Resource Tools
There
300 copies of the MHM Booklet and 20 copies of the Teacher’s Training Resource
tool that were printed on the 28/11/2022. They will be ready for distribution
when schools open in February 2023. (Butambala)
Likewise,
a total of 400 copies of MHM booklets and 40 copies of the Teacher’s Training
Resource tools were printed for the districts of Mubende and Wakiso.
4. Delivery
of sewing machines and MHM T-shirts in the 10 project schools in Mubende
On 10-11/11/2022, sewing machines were delivered in the respective project schools in the presence of the teachers, identified tailors, MHM club members and other interested students. T-shirts were also distributed to the MHM club members. Participants were promised to receive the reusable sanitary pad making training when term one commences next year.
5. Pad
making in Schools in
Butambala
Due to the Ebola outbreak in the
country, schools closed for holidays on 25/11/2022 earlier than the national
school calendars. Project activities did not commence as planned since there
was a shift of school programming. However, the team received communication
from four primary schools including Bule, Ntolomwe, Nkokoma and Lwamasaka
Primary schools who indicated they had started theory of pad making shortly
before closure.
6. Community
Awareness in Butambala
On the 26/11/2022, team engaged 124 children from
different primary schools in Ngando Sub County at Budinse Memorial School. Out
of the total 124 children, 56 were boys and 68 girls.
Among these, 8 boys and 24 girls attend three of the
project schools including Lwamasaka, Butende and Butalunga primary schools
respectively. 92 children came from other non-target schools. Team
conducted a one-hour Sexuality and Reproductive Health session in collaboration
with Butambala Women in Development (BUWODEV), a local community-based
organization.
Children were mobilized for a 3-day event where we
share life experiences with orphans and vulnerable children offering relief,
counseling and guidance. We discussed puberty in terms of body changes,
responsibility to protect each other, boys support for girls especially during
menstruation was a key message and girls were encouraged to practice proper
hygiene during their puberty.
Children from non-targeted schools were more reserved
than their colleagues who came from the
3 target schools. They started opening up mostly at a
time when a female facilitator from
BUWODEV was conducting the session and when they were
grouped into smaller clusters.
“You told us that a girl who does not menstruate by 16
years is sick but I have my friend who menstruated at 18 years. Is she normal?”
asked one of the girls. In response, the facilitator explained that when
menstruation delays, one should talk to an adult or see a doctor.
On 28th November 2022, 50 guardians (40 Female, 10
Male) were engaged and reminded of their responsibility in supporting
adolescent girls during menstruation by endeavoring to provide sanitary
material and emotional support for those at menarche. They were urged to create
an environment where children can freely open up discussions with them. This
was after discovering that children were not open during the counseling
sessions held the previous days.
7. Happy
pad promotion Centre in Wakiso
A total of 28 pads were produced this month and 262 packaging bags. No students were trained due to early closure of schools as it was instructed by the government as one of the means to fight against Ebola. 9 outsiders from the community are being trained at the promotion centre. 3 pairs of the re-usable sanitary pads were sold so far but hoping to sell more as people get used to them. This will be achieved through shop-to-shop visits in addition to engaging persons in community gatherings, visiting female saloons among others.
8. Production
of face masks at the Happy-pad Promotion Centre in Wakiso
There 500 face masks that were produced at the promotion Centre due to Ebola pandemic and Covid-19. People were encouraged to put on face masks to prevent and help fight the diseases. A total of 155 masks were distributed to children in Wakiso. All made masks are not for sale and we are to distribute them free of charge. More production will continue in between the months of December 2022 and January 2023. More distribution will be made to project schools in Mubende during when schools open for next year 2023.
Following
the Presidential address on 2nd December 2022 on health issues in
the country, it was reported that 50 cases of COVID-19 omicron type is recorded
daily. The president called up all the public to continue observing standard
operating procedures (SOPs)
Positive influence
·
Members
of the community in Nansana municipality are now familiar with the spot message
especially in the areas near Voice of Kiryagonja community radio stations.These
areas include;Kiryagonja, Kasalirwe, Kirinnyabigo, Lwadda-Kyondo, Najjemba and
Nasse (Wakiso)
·
Learners from the 3 project schools responded better
than other children from the community during the SRH session that was
conducted. This indicated improvement in MHM, and SRH knowledge. (Butambala)
·
Collaboration with another community- based group
helped us measure MHM information gaps for children in non-targeted schools.
Guardians were encouraged to open up and invite their children to share health
and puberty related issues (Butambala)
· Listeners appreciated SORAK for delivering
sewing machines in the respective project schools and the wonderful information
about proper menstrual management and Ebola provided during the radio talk show
(Mubende)
· Participants
including learners and teachers were excited to receive the sewing machine
which shall be used for making reusable sanitary pads and showed interest to
welcome the pad making training that will be conducted when schools resume
(Mubende)
·
Community
members appreciated the quality of reusable sanitary pads produced at the
promotion Centre. This was evidenced during marketing and selling of the 3
pairs of sanitary pads. (Wakiso)
Challenges
·
School programs were adjusted such that schools can
break off much earlier than before as ordered by the ministry of education.
This was due to the outbreak of Ebola hence this affected some activities that
were planned like monitoring of school facilities which was supposed to be
conducted this month in all the 3 respective districts, also affected training
of students in sanitary pad making in Mubende
· Learners had no reading material after the
previous version of MHM booklets was withdrawn (Butambala)
· Ebola outbreak in Mubende and associated
lockdown from 16th October to 17th December disorganized
school study program, so was project activities. Schools were closed on 25th
November, this was earlier than planned.
Recommendations
· School monitoring of facilities in all the 3
respective districts should be done as soon as schools resume next year in
February 2023.
· Engagement of learners from other schools
outside our target schools can create more awareness.
· Engaging other community groups to participate
in the project for bigger impact.
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