“I used to go to school without a pad and when my uniform got soiled, some boys at school would laugh at me” says 13-year-old Faith Awor, a pupil of Katerema Primary School in Tororo District, eastern Uganda. Much as her dream is to become a medical doctor, the bullying from the boys in her school sometimes forced her to stay home until her periods ended. Unfortunately, Faith’s story is shared by thousands of girls in rural areas. With teary eyes, she narrates harrowing tales of how some girls in the village were married off when they started menstruating. Others, she says, were forced to exchange sex for money to buy pads and instead ended up pregnant and dropping out of school.

As part of a Jars of Clay project in Tororo District, about 300 girls have received sanitary pads and/or training in making reusable ones. This has supported them to practice healthy menstrual hygiene and stay in school. Katerema Primary School has also been equipped with materials so that girls who begin their periods while at school, can quickly have a pad and not have to miss classes.

The Senior Woman Teacher, Ms. Hellen Ogwang reveals that the project has really helped her with the girls. Hitherto, some of girls came to school without pads, while others simply missed school during their periods. With the intervention of the pad-making project, they have seen a tremendous reduction in absenteeism. “Thanks to the training and materials that Jars of Clay gave us, we have now incorporated pad making as a weekly activity during our Art and Craft lessons”, Ms. Ogwang adds.