Despite having had a smooth early livelihood, along the way I have met peers who have shared grotesque stories of strife when they attended local public schools in semi-developed regions and ignorant areas such Garissa, where access to basic health and menstruation information was a struggle. A friend’s experience, when she was in sixth grade, she received her monthly periods for the first time and stained her skirt. Without knowing, she stood up and everyone was laughing at her. She was so embarrassed and did not report to school the following day. She was married off the same week and as we speak, she has 12 children and is living in abject poverty. 

This experience ignited in me the urge to help young girls understand menstruation. Tracing my roots in Garissa, out of 20 peers whom we studied with at the same time, only 5 completed the eighth grade without getting pregnant. Every time I remember this reality, I feel hurt and even more passionate about issues affecting innocent girls from marginalized areas.

I first encountered MTY in February 2018 in a 6-month project which entailed distributing sanitary pads to school girls and facilitates the training of both boys and girls on, academic excellence, how to be entrepreneurs after school as well as Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) and harmful cultural practices. This was an eye opener to myself and earlier in the year I joined another youth group which deals on reproductive health. Participating and working with these programs have made my dream come true. Girls can now describe menstrual hygiene and can run away when they are about to be subjected to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) since they know its effects. We have initiated active office line where they can call when in danger, after which we take active measures with the help of police. 

Through monthly reach out programs, we have been able to reach out to over 50 young women replica designer watches, half the number, are young mothers. They have since been able to get relevant information on SRHR and effects of FGM and have vowed to help other women to renounce FGM in Garissa. They pass messages through choreographed dances and skits in tertiary institutions and community gatherings.

I have a dream that one day each girl, regardless of their social status, will have access to menstrual hygiene information, SRHR services, a career of their choice and the power to influence decision-making and policy. I dream of a society where all women and girls build each other up.