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| Promotion center premises in Butambala district |
<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.
Happy pad promotion Centre in Wakiso
4. Follow
up on the two project schools in Mubende (Kiyita and Christ the King) to check
on the progress of their unfinished facilities including washroom and toilet
5. Preparing new opening
promotion Center in Butambala
6. Online Training in Butambala
1. Radio
talk show in Mubende
One hour radio
talk show was conducted at Luna FM in Kibalinga, Mubende on 19/01/2023.
Community members were 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 how to ensure a friendly
MHM environment both at home and at school since schools are resuming soon. The
talk show took place in the presence of the Youth Councilor Kibalinga who
appreciated SORAK for the great work towards empowering the girl child to keep
in school through addressing menstrual changes.
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, 11 spot messages were
aired at Voice of Kikambwe and 10 aired at Voice of Butende.
3. Happy
pad promotion Centre in Wakiso
The four girls that were enrolled in December
kept at the pad Centre until 20th January 2023 when they finished
their training in reusable sanitary pad making. They were so happy because they
had benefited from the training as they were able to make reusable sanitary
pads at the end of the training.
No extra pads were produced however the team at
the Centre carried out marketing of the Happy pads by moving door to door in
the households around the promotion Centre.
4. Follow
up on the two project schools in Mubende (Kiyita and Christ the King) to check
on the progress of their un finished facilities.
The project officer through making phone calls since
all target schools
were still in holidays to the two project schools including Kiyita and Christ
the King, in Mubende to check on the progress of the facilities, was informed
by the Headteachers that facilities will be completed by the end of term (late Next April)
one after raising some funds from the parents. Therefore, the situation is
still the same until schools’ resume.
5. Preparing
new promotion Center in Butambala
Registration of trainees started on the 24th
of Jan 2023. 8 female and 2 male trainees were registered as the process continues
to receive more participants from the community.
6. Online Training in Butambala
1) Video Demonstration on How to Make a Reusable
Pad in Butambala
The VOTU team shot a 20 minutes video demonstrating how to
make reusable pads. In this video, we explained the tools and materials needed
to make reusable sanitary pads, the measurements using a sketch and cutting out
on fabric. The instructors took us through the entire process from start to end. (see ‘Feedback of online sessions’ as
References)
2) Conducted two Online sessions
Two online sessions
were held to discuss the challenges faced by girls during menstruation in
Uganda on the session one 21/01/2023 and also to
demonstrate how to make reusable sanitary pads on the session two on 22/01/2023. Each session took 2 hours.
General Attendance:49 participants (30 female, 19 male) attended
session one, while 39 participants (23 female, 16 male) attended session two.
Participants represented 25 different civil society organization from Uganda
and Pakistan.
Session One (On 21/01/2023 at 11:00am (Uganda Time)):
The team had an open
online discussion about challenges menstruating girls face in the different
areas of Uganda and other countries. The team used a participatory approach to
engage participants. There were shared experiences from Iganga, Wakiso, and
Mukono districts of Uganda as well as from Pakistan.
Some of the key
issues addressed included; lack of MHM information among the girls and general
communities, the myths/taboos that still exist, low male participation, lack of
sanitary products and facilities in schools, low inclusion of people with
disabilities in MHM interventions. This indicated that the challenges we are trying
to solve in the project areas of Butambala, Mubende and Wakiso are far reaching
even in other areas. The team further discussed the project interventions and
activities to mitigate the challenges above since inception.
Session Two (On 22/01/2023 at 3:00pm
(Uganda Time)):
The team opened a discussion about period
poverty and the interventions to address it. Effects of period poverty were
discussed which included; infections resulting from unhygienic options used due
to lack of pads, sex trade and exploitation of girls in exchange of sanitary
products, girls dropping out of school, stigma etc.
Reusable sanitary pad concept was introduced as
participants’ knowledge about reusable sanitary pads was assessed using open
questions. SORAK staff explained the advantages of using reusable pads, how to
use them and handling them for proper hygiene. She also explained the
activities at Happy-pad promotion center in Wakiso.
A recorded
video demonstrating how to make reusable pads was played for the participants
to learn. Each session ended with a question and answer where participants
reacted. Feedback forms were also sent to the participants at the end of each
session.
Positive influence
· During the radio talk show at Luna FM
Kibalinga, the Youth Councilor Kibalinga participated and appreciated the
initiative of ensuring that girls are kept in schools. He promised to work with
SORAK to conduct community sensitization regarding MHM, gender equality and
Sexual Reproductive Health issues. (Mubende)
·
Regarding Online
sessions (Butambala)
Ø Presented
opportunities of new partnerships with other organizations. 25 organizations
were represented. The participatory approach was effective as participants
actively responded to the questions and shared their own experience.
Ø The team learnt
several lessons from the participants e.g., the issue of certifying happy pad
at the UNBS[1]
as mentioned by a Ministry of Health officer, inclusion of People with
Disabilities (PWDs) as stated by a representative of Girls With a vision Uganda in Iganga district, considering a
padded-pant to cater for those that can’t afford underwear as stated by JENA
Women Empowerment Initiative.
Ø Majority of the
participants attended up to the end of each session.
Ø SORAK team greatly
benefited from the online training prepared by VOTU team and realized that such
trainings are so crucial during project implementation. Learnt a lot of
experiences from the participants which SORAK will also apply during
implementation. (Mubende and Wakiso)
·
Ebola outbreak that had affected most of the activities was fought and
the environment now free from the pandemic which will make implementation of
activities successful. (Mubende)
·
Listeners appreciated team for the wonderful information shared about MHM
during the radio talk show and thanked their leader representing them at the
radio. This was evidenced by the number of calls made during the talk show as
they requested for more talk shows that provide them with information related
on MHM issues. (Mubende)
Challenges
·
Network connectivity failed at some point
during the online presentation.
Some participants claimed they waited for long before they were logged into the
session. (Butambala)
· Marketing of the pads is still a challenge but the
team has tried and still trying its best to make some sales by moving door to
door. (Wakiso Promotion Center)
· Schools were in a holiday
season and all school related activities were not conducted though these will
be implemented when schools resume.
·
Uncertainty about
the existence of the promotion centre after some of the equipment like some
furniture being shifted to Butambala bothered the team especially the tailor at
the centre but managed to make use of the available equipment. (Wakiso Promotion Center)
·
Each session took 2 hours hence expensive
in terms of internet for the participants some of whom didn’t attend the second
session. (Butambala)
·
Project beneficiaries (teachers) luck
smart gadgets and internet thus couldn’t attend sessions (Butambala and
Mubende)
Recommendations
·
Standardization of
the happy pad is highly needed for both quality and size. (Wakiso and
Butambala)
·
Prepare for anyone who needs training about pad making any time from now.
(Wakiso and Butambala)
Lessons
Learnt
·
Online sessions
are effective when participants are well engaged. Open discussions kept the
participants interested.
·
We should cater
for the needs of people with disabilities.
· The
design of the reusable pad should be made with the right standard to cater for
comfort.
· Some
participants of online sessions preferred
physical demonstration on how to make pads. They were invited to the pad
promotion centers. (Wakiso and Butambala)
· MHM
challenges in the project areas are similar in many parts of the country.
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