Keeping Girls in School
By: Alice Kanyama, High Education PhD Student; Gertrude Finyiza, MA Anthropology Student; Isabel Makwecha, MA Curriculum and Instruction Student
In Malawi, girls miss school for so many reasons, but largely because of lack of menstrual hygiene products. 2023-24 school year has been worse because of the economic hardship that the country has gone through-a devaluation of the currency (kwacha) by 44%. The project to keep girls in school was not a mistake, but a perfect fit for the girls' education. The project delivered packs of reusable sanitary pads that can be used for four years if well taken care of.
With ACE Grant funding from the Center for Community Engagement to advance Scholarship & Learning (CCESL), and partnering with Seeds of Promise Ministry (partner on the ground), the project did not just bring a gift to the girls but a ray of hope and possibility to attain education.
Interviewing the girls to assess how best they could be supported in menstrual hygiene; it was evident that the lack of the products for menstrual hygiene puts the girls in vulnerable positions. Older men and boys take advantage of the situation promising to provide financial assistance for them to buy the products in return of sexual favors. This leads to early pregnancies and early school dropouts. The source of funds for the girls to get sanitary products has been through parents/guardians and doing piece works to get some money to purchase the products. Many households have had deep financial problems leading to the inability to support the girls to purchase sanitary products. Having the girls go do piecework to source funds has also taken the girls away from school. The intervention to provide the girls with the sanitary pads has been commended by both the girls and the partner on the ground.
Engaging in this project has been a growing process for us as a team. As we engaged with our faculty mentor, the partner on the ground and among ourselves, we have improved our communication and collaboration, teamwork skills. Utilizing the skills we have learnt in the classrooms and integrating them in the community through this project has empowered us to translate theory into practice in our local community.