Huru
Hagati Secondary School, Ruvuma, Tanzania | 2018 | Community-Driven Initiative
Providing resources to female students in rural Tanzania so that they can attend school during menstruation without fears or worries.
Roles & Skills
Research, problem definition, and exploration of solution spaces.
Coordinated a 3-day educational event in partnership with Huru International and 10 local Tanzanian teachers.
Distributed reusable sanitary pads to 300 girls.
This work was done in collaboration with Huru International.
Note: All male and female students in Tanzania are required to cut their hair short. Both male and female students are pictured.
Problem Space
In a survey of middle- and high-school female students living in rural Tanzania, I found that menstruation and reliable access to sanitary pads greatly impact school attendance and confidence in the classroom.
Educational Event
In partnership with ten local Tanzanian teachers, I spearheaded a grant to fully fund the implementation of a 3-day educational event where nearly 400 middle- and high-school male and female students participated. Local teachers led classroom facilitation, instruction, and coordination.
Image from https://tinyurl.com/rvc6lun.
Sanitary Pad Distribution
With the help of Huru International, we provided reusable menstrual pads to 300 female students.
With each Huru Kit, a female student received four reusable menstrual pads, underwear, and laundering soap.
Huru means freedom in Swahili. And, by giving girls access to reusable menstrual pads, each girl could feel more confident and liberated in the classroom.
