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Flying Girls Malawi empowers school girls with menstrual hygiene awareness
Menstrual issues are considered taboo in many parts of Malawi, making it difficult for women and girls to disclose these issues, writes Hafsa Twaya.
BLANTYRE, Malawi— Menstrual issues are considered taboo in many parts of Malawi, making it difficult for women and girls to disclose these issues, writes Hafsa Twaya.
This results in many complications for school-going girls, especially those in primary and secondary schools.
Flying Girls Malawi (FGM), an organization headed by Lydia Banda, is spearheading an initiative to ensure that no girl child stays away from school because of menstruation.
They provide awareness of menstrual hygiene and reliable sanitary pads to schoolgirls who are less privileged.
According to Banda, the founder of Flying Girls Malawi, data from different studies show that most girls are not doing well in school compared to boys because they are away from school during their menstruation.
"Peer-talking is employed as most girls are shy about putting these kinds of issues in public discourse," Banda said.
"Thousands of girls from different schools, including Stella Maris Catholic, Makhetha Primary, and Chichiri Primary Schools, have benefited from this initiative since it started in 2021."
Wakisa Mwakisulu, a former student at Stella Maris Catholic School, who is currently a Biological Sciences student at the University of Malawi (UNIMA), testified how the initiative has immensely transformed her life.
"FGM provided long-lasting menstrual cups that are reusable and environmentally friendly," Mwakisulu said.
"The initiative also helped me learn how to make improvised sanitary pads using locally available resources."
Dorcas Mangame, a former student at Chichiri Secondary School and currently pursuing her education at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), is one of the long-serving members of FGM.
She says the initiative has helped her become a hardworking student, as the awareness campaigns could come with motivational talks from different local achievers.
"A menstrual cup changed my life," Mangame said. "I no longer have to worry about staining my clothes or missing classes because of menstruation."