Keeping Girls in School Every day. Period.
February 25, 2016
In January our package finally arrived – a bit tattered but in one piece. Excitement filled the air as the girls waited impatiently to see the contents of this mysterious package from America. The girls squealed with delight as their teacher, Parchibell Feka, opened the box to reveal over a dozen dignity kits containing washable sanitary pads, panties, and a bar of soap. While Ms. Feka was distributing the pads, one of the boys in the class stated that he wished he was a girl so that he could get one too.
Washable sanitary pads. Who would have guessed that a simple pad would be so welcomed? Sanitary pads are a luxury item in the rural communities of the Sub Sahara. Too poor to afford disposable pads, girls use rags, leaves, or whatever they can find to absorb the monthly flow. When a girl begins to menstruate, she will either stay home from school or drop out, avoiding embarrassment and sexual harassment.
Keeping girls in school is the mission and focus of our nonprofit: Rose Academies. If it takes a simple pad to help girls stay in school then we will have accomplished a great deal. Our shipment was just the beginning of our aggressive program to reach those girls in the rural communities and provide them with the resources to return to school.
In order to meet the increasing demand for the pads, we are reaching out to schools, clubs, and service groups to help us. If you have questions how you can help, please email: susan@roseacademies.org. Your efforts will help some girl to regain her dignity, giving her the confidence to return to school and get an education.