lets save our girls

40% of girls in Uganda are married before their 18th birthday and 1 in 10 before their 15th birthday. There are 787,000 girls married before the age of 18 in Uganda, robbed of their childhood and achieving their full potential in all aspects of their lives.

Child brides face huge challenges because they are married as children. Isolated and with limited freedom, married girls often feel disempowered. They are deprived of their fundamental rights to health, education and safety. Child brides are neither physically nor emotionally ready to become wives and mothers. They face more risks of experiencing dangerous complications in pregnancy and childbirth, contracting HIV/AIDS and suffering domestic violence. With little access to education and economic opportunities, they and their families are more likely to live in poverty.In most communities once a girl child starts menstruating , due to the illiteracy of the communities and guardians , they onle think that the girl is ready for marriage . 

To fill the gap, we at WDF, we are trying to teach girls and their parents how to make low-cost reusable menstrual pads out of soft cloths they have at home. We also involve the wider community to address cultural taboos around not discussing menstruation. Now, supported schools have added making reusable pads into their art and craft and school health club activities.

But beyond teaching girls and women how to make menstrual pads, we still need to address the issues they face holistically by advocating for the provision of affordable solutions for every girl in every school as a basic right and a pledge to "provide the facilities and opportunities necessary to enhance the welfare of women to enable them realize their full potential and advancement". Sanitary towels and bathrooms seem a small price to pay for helping a girl to access a complete education.

In the picture above, Our Ugandan country Director gifts the girls with usuable pads that can help them to stay healthy and safe from the stigma and absentism off from school , 

This project is a monthly on carrying activity where we help girls with pads , You can be a blessing by joing us in this movement and supporting us financially to keep the project on and to cover bigger impact in the girl child