Her Pad: Teaching girls how to make Reusable pads

For girls in Tanzania, menstruation can spell the end of education. Without the right knowledge and resources, many girls miss up to 20% of the school year because of their periods, while others just end up dropping out when their periods come. Girls who can’t afford (or don’t know about) pads sometimes use dried cow dung for period management.

The Her Pad project, delivered by the Child In Action Foundation, provides menstrual education and advocacy for school-aged girls in rural Mwanza. Program facilitators come to each school, where girls in Year 7 and 8  are taught how to make their own reusable cloth sanitary pads so that their periods don’t disrupt their lives and learning. Boys at the schools are also taught about menstrual health and how to support and respect their peers. This in turn increases girls’ school attendance, self-esteem and self-worth, helps improve their academic performance, and increases their chances of completing their schooling.

In 2021, with a $5000 AUD grant from Sunflower, this project reached over 1,000 girls in rural Tanzania. In 2022, Sunflower provided a further $2000 AUD grant to sustain the program and increase its reach.

Not only did the girls gain skills and resources for period management, but their school attendance and test scores increased. School leaders were thrilled, and the boys at these schools also gained understanding and respect for their female classmates.