Girls and women face substantial menstrual hygiene management (MHM) challenges in low- and middle-income countries. These challenges are related to inadequate knowledge and insufficient water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities
In improving girls’ education in Pwani Region by keeping girls in school, RUFFO – HedhiYangu Project (R-HYP) in the region has been able to support 85 girls in 2 schools in Marumbo ward, Kisarawe Pwani with sanitary towels that support them to attend school throughout the year 2022 without miss. Also R- HYP supports 456 girls In Mfuru secondary and Mfuru secondary emergency sanitary towels which help them when they start their periods at school. The donation of sanitary towels goes hand in hand with the campaign to donate sanitary towels which is ongoing on RUFFO social media pages.
RUFFO- HedhiYangu Project in Pwani aims to educate school children on Menstrual Hygiene Management, donate sanitary towels to girls who can’t afford them, build toilets, provide hand washing facilities, build changing rooms and water facilities in schools so that to give children in school the availability of WASH facilities in schools to improve students attendance and performance in subjects as well as being one of their rights.
In addition to this, the project aims to create awareness and share information with the public regarding the reproductive health and well-being of Tanzanian women. We seek the accessible information that is available to young women in Tanzania regarding their menstrual cycle. Despite all the available educational material and the plethora of information detailing the personal experiences of women in our society, we noticed that the issue of menstruation remains a silent story, an untold experience with no room for discussion.
Sexual health and reproductive health are connected and must be examined together to understand how to bring about better SRH outcomes and gender equality in societies. Gender-based inequalities manifest in unintended pregnancies, child early and forced marriage (CEFM), and gender-based violence.
The stigma from community and service providers and an unfriendly environment are among the issues that limit girls and boys from accessing SRH information and services, as per gender analysis.
RUFFO through this “HedhiYangu” project addresses these limitations by working with the community, young people, schools and facility level to achieve deliver the following activities:
