When 17-year-old Memory Kayinga from Karonga thinks about her period, the first word
that comes to mind is ‘struggle.’ For years, she found her monthly period to be a
‘thorn in her side,’ not only because of the physical discomfort, but also because
of the financial burden it entailed. The monthly purchase of sanitary pads was a
constant burden for her and many other girls in her community, where even basic care
is a challenge.
‘In my community, many young girls miss school during their periods because they
don't have sanitary pads. It's sad, but it's a reality for the girls affected,’ Kayinga
recalls.
Kayinga's story took a hopeful turn when she participated in an awareness camp organised
by the youth organisation Pamoza Tingakwaniska. The two-day camp aimed to equip young
people with knowledge, confidence and practical skills so that they could make informed
decisions and build a better future for themselves.
At this camp, Kayinga and her classmates learned how to make reusable sanitary pads
from readily available resources without having to dig deep into their pockets. The
training, which deliberately included male adolescents, covered the entire process
from collecting the material to cutting it to size and sewing it by hand.
LapKen Liwago, youth officer for the Karonga district, described the awareness camp
as significant for the development of young people in Karonga.
‘This awareness camp has played a crucial role in providing young people with information
on topics such as entrepreneurship, leadership skills, sexual and reproductive health,
and more. This will help these young people grow to become better citizens.’
Unfortunately, the lack of medical supplies in Karonga's health facilities still
often means that adolescents and young adults do not receive basic care and support
for SRHR. We are therefore continuing to provide medical equipment and medicines
to the four health centres supported in the project area.
As we have reported on several occasions, we continue to face challenging conditions
in implementing our projects:
- high inflation, which remains at around 30%
- impassable roads and paths
- power cuts lasting several hours, sometimes several times a day
Despite these adverse circumstances, we want to continue our activities in the area
of SRHR and family planning in a targeted manner in the future. To do this, we are
dependent on your help and donations.
Please continue to support us, our projects and the people of Malawi with your donations.
Every donation helps.
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