Keeping Girls in School project helps tackle menstrual barrier to education in Malawi

Malawi-Girls in Malawi are facing a significant barrier to education due to menstruation, resulting in absenteeism and school dropout, writes Royal Kasiya.

This, in turn, has led to a decrease in the number of female learners passing primary school and increased levels of illiteracy among women.

To address this issue, the 'Keeping Girls in School' project was established in 2021 by the Kamwendo Model School management and staff.

The project aims to reduce absenteeism and school dropout among girls in the area by providing support and resources to help them manage their menstrual cycle.

Headteacher for Kamwendo Model School in Mchinji, Rodwell Zulu, explained, "An estimated one-third of adolescent girls do not attend classes from time to time when they are menstruating, and this affects their performance in class. As a result, as a school, we devised a project called "Keeping Girls in School."

Under the project, a committee of female teachers conducts mentoring and counselling sessions for adolescent girls on the challenges they face during menstruation, both at school and at home.

The school also distributes reusable sanitary pads to the girls, aiming to assist them in coping with these challenges and achieving their goals.

The 'Keeping Girls in School' project has already rescued over 150 girls who were on the verge of dropping out of school due to their menstrual cycle. Furthermore, the school's efforts have raised the girls' pass rate from 30% to 35%.

A Standard 8 student at Kamwendo Model School, Isah Banda, spoke positively about the project's impact, stating, "I have benefited a lot from this project. It's been a blessing to have access to information on how I can handle my menstrual period hygienically as well as how to cope with the challenges I face in everyday life. In addition to this, the project has also equipped me with knowledge and skills that help me be confident and positive while attending classes."

Chairperson of the school's group, Mwiza Zuze, shared her sentiments on the project's impact, stating, "This has been a lifesaver for our school as initially we used to rely on parents as sources of information to the girl child, most of whom were not always available or not open enough to their girls. But this project has helped to impart useful life skills to the girls."

The project is not without its challenges, including the need to continuously provide sanitary pads to the girls and the lack of well-trained personnel to impart relevant information and skills.

However, the committee is working with health personnel with relevant skills to train the girls, and the school management committee is currently working to secure funds to purchase reusable sanitary pads for all adolescent girls to ensure that no girl gets to absent herself from school because of menstruation.

This story was made possible with the support of Google News Initiative's News Equity Fund. #GNIChallenge