Menstruation makes many girls fail to realise their dreams

Menstruation is one of the big challenges that make a big number of girls in the country unable to accomplish their education dreams.

On the other hand, Africa has been one of the continents facing many challenges in improving education to its people and especially to girls due to different reasons such as outdates traditional beliefs, existence of patriarch system which does not offer a room for equal rights between boys and girls, as well as poverty which makes many African governments unable to allocate sufficient budget to education.   

Tanzania being among the poorest countries in the world has been facing similar challenges despite a lot of efforts dedicated to improve its free education to all policy.  Its 50 years now since the country has acquired her independence but a great deal of challenges in education still exists and most of them have not been given the attention they deserve. 

Biological factor is one of the challenges which pull back education development among the girls in Tanzania. When a girl matures, she will find herself undergoing monthly menstruation. However, failure to properly handle the situation would mean that she will not be able to attend the school during the period. Other girls are ending up dropping from the school as a result of situation. 

Rehema Mshamu is a student at Chuno Primary School in Mtwara Region who shared a story with us. She says “Many girls including myself are not well informed on how to handle the situation when we are in period especially during the school days. Failure to handle the situation is attributed to lack of knowledge and facilities like sanitary pads,”  

Rehema further noted that, currently a lot of girls have got relief on challenges facing them during menstruation as a result of ‘Hakuna Wasichoweza’ project implemented by T-MARC, a local NGO under the funding from Vodacom Foundation and USAID.

She said, under the project, girls are being educated on how to handle themselves when they are in menstruation adding that free of charge sanitary pads are also being made available to girls.

Ashura Shabani, is another student from Mtwara who was able to comment on the challenges facing marginalised girls when undergoing their menstruation cycle.

“A lot of girls are not aware on what to do when they are in period and especially when they are in school. Girls normally feel shy to go to school when in such situation since boys would shout at them and they find the best option is to stay at home until the situation gets to an end,” she narrates.

 Mtwara is among the leading regions for school absence and dropouts in the country. The situation is attributed to number of reasons such as poverty, community attitudes towards education, school infrastructure and child pregnancy.

Speaking at a project feedback meeting which education stakeholders in the region are taking part, the project manager Doris Chalambo said the project has been very successful as it has to a great extent solved the problem of school absence among the girls and thus give them an opportunity to pursue adding that phase two of the project will be implemented in Lindi Region.

The project targets to reach 10,200 girls in Lindi and Mtwara regions. So far, it has reached 7,077 girls who most of them are in school and others who are out of school. We targeted girls between 9 to 15 old years of age and in addition we have provided training to traditional mid wives and local women who assist the girls by instructing them what to do when in menstruation,” she said

She said, it was noted that a lot of girls have been failing to handle themselves when in period as a result of lack of knowledge and lack of required facilities like sanitary pads a situation which make them to miss school up to seven days a month when they are in menstruation.

Speaking on behalf of Mtwara Regional Administrative Officer, Jose Kitenana said the education provided under the project would enable girls to reach their education dreams as they will no longer miss classes due the situation.

“This successful project has been implemented by T-Marc under the financing of Vodacom Foundation. As you are all aware, the government cannot do everything and this support is therefore much appreciated. We will work hard to ensure that proper infrastructure is available in schools which doesn’t have,” he said.

Vodacom Foundation head Renatus Rwehikiza said Vodacom has been providing support to communities in different areas of needs adding that his company was proud to support ‘Hakuna Wasichoweza’ project which intends to make girls able to reach their educational dream.

“Vodacom Foundation donates to the communities in different social projects. Currently we have ‘Hakuna Wasichoweza Project’ which has been supported to a tune of Tshs 480. We are waiting for evaluation report to look if we can support phase two. Our support to his project has helped small girls in school to attend schools without obstacles and therefore be in a better position to reach their education dreams” Rwehikiza said.

SOURCE:THE GUARDIAN via Ipp Media