Reusable pad for Sustainable Menstrual Hygiene.

Education around body development remain a difficult issue for parents to discuss with their children in Cameroon especially in the rural communities.. Young girls grow up to discover for themselves puberty characteristics when they are at that body development stage. It is a taboo to open talk on topics like menstruation and sexual life. My elder sister and I had limited knowledge on menstruation and sexual and Reproductive health. Our mother had never discuss with us about it and it was not taught in primary school at the time.

During my first menstruation, I had no access to pad. I was not comfortable discussing it with someone because I was ashame and afraid of what they will say. I used pieces of cloths and toilet tissue which I later on realized that it was not good for my health.

From my experienced I told myself that, one day I will rewrite the story of puberty and menstruation in particular in the lives of other adolescent girls in Cameroon.

In 2018, I started the journey of sensitising adolescent girls on their sexual and Reproductive health rights and proper menstrual hygiene management. So far, my initiative; CEFLife have sensitized about 500 adolescent girls and young women on sexual and Reproductive health. We have trained over 45 young women on reusable pad production. We have distributed about 3900 reusable pads to adolescent girls and young women in Cameroon.

As of this year 2022, we plan to sensitize 150 adolescent girls and young women in Bambili village, in the North West Region of Cameroon on their sexual and Reproductive health rights, menstrual hygiene management and reusable pad production.

The goal of this initiative is to enhance knowledge of adolescent girls and young women on their sexual and Reproductive health rights and menstrual hygiene management.

Specific objectives include;

- To improve access to proper menstrual hygiene management products

- To reduce stereotypes and taboos sorounding menstruation.

- To reduce body shaming and stigma faced by adolescent girls during puberty.

- To reduce the exposure of adolescent girls and young women to STDS and unplanned pregnancies.

Activities:

- Identify and mobilize 150 adolescent girls and young women in Bambili village

- organize 4 sensitization workshops on SRHR and MHM

- Distribute 600 reusable pads and condom to the selected beneficiaries- Organise and train 50 adolescent girls on how to produce reusable pads.

- monitor and evaluate project progress.

Expected outcomes

- 150 adolescent girls and young women have increased access to clean menstrual hygiene products and services in Bambili village

- At least 80% of adolescent girls and young women sensitized have a positive attitude towards menstruation and their body.

- 150 adolescent girls and young women have improved access to artificial contraceptives to prevent STDs/STIs and unplanned pregnancies.

Impact

Adolescent girls and young women will have improved health and above all, have a positive attitudes towards their body. Menstruation stereotype, taboos and body shaming will be reduced at the level of the Bambili community.