Imagine having to use leaves to pad your daughter during periods because you don’t have any better. Think of the discomfort and the hygiene implications. Imagine a girl having to be kept or tied in a particular place because she cannot manage her menses by herself. Sadly, this is the situation that some caregivers find themselves in as they take care of their daughters while having to make ends meet.
When Arise Integrated Development Efforts (AIDE) started implementing the menstrual Hygiene support for girls with physical and intellectual disabilities project in Goma subcounty, Mukono district, we underscored the importance empowering caregivers with knowledge and skills in better menstrual hygiene management for their daughters. Having strong supportive community structures right from household to schools and public places is key to fostering menstrual dignity for girls with physical and intellectual disabilities.
The main challenge of the caregivers is low incomes to meet the ever-increasing demands. Many of them are single mothers or grandmothers that have many family members under their care. In such situations, sometimes girls with physical or intellectual disabilities can suffer negligence even unknowingly. Then again, some caregivers have lost all hope for their children with severe disabilities who can’t even communicate when they go in their menses. There is therefore need to empower caregivers with simple communication skills to enable them to support their children better.
During our activities, we not only address menstrual hygiene managements but nuances of emotional wellbeing for caregivers. The project has provided safe spaces where caregivers get to share their experiences and provide each other emotional support.
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Similarly, as AIDE provides them with knowledge and skills to make reusable sanitary pads, caregivers have found a cheaper solution to supporting their girls to managing their menses.
One of the caregivers, Ruth says, “My daughter Maria and I have greatly benefitted from this training. Her sibling has also started her periods, so I will be passing on the knowledge and skills acquired in better menstrual hygiene management. I am also training Maria and her sibling to make reusable sanitary pads. This has reduced the cost spent on sanitary pads”. Mariah is a 17-year-old with Down Syndrome.
Another caregiver to a 21-year-old daughter with mental health challenges appreciates that the menstrual pack has extra pieces of clean cloth. Before they used old pieces of cloth which were hard to clean. However, the menstrual pack provides a better way for her daughter to manage her periods. Even during school, her daughter can clean herself and keep safe.
Caregivers have stated that reusable pads are less costly and give less irritation to their children. Although, this comes with the need for increased access to clean and safe water. Moreover, caregivers highlight the need to support their girls with physical and intellectual disabilities with knowledge in sexual reproductive health and rights to empower them to know their bodies.
In partnership with Irise Institute for East Africa and TPEN, AIDE continues to advocate for supportive inclusive structures in the community for example clean water sources in schools, inclusive learning structures to provide a dignified environment for girls with physical and intellectual disabilities. AIDE also emphasizes the need to train girls in issues of sexual reproductive health and rights to prevent them from sexual violence.
Click on the video below to learn more about our efforts
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