Ensuring Girls Stay In School - Every Day Of The Month

One of the most valuable supports we offer our students is a comprehensive workshop program that covers not only study skills and career guidance, but also essential sessions on physical & emotional health for students on the cusp of puberty. Understanding how the body works, and how to safely navigate the changes that are about to happen, is crucial for young people - especially when this information is lacking at their government schools and often in their homes too.

In these Growth & Change sessions, we distribute menstral hygiene kits for middle school girls, ensuring that they never miss a day of school simply because they have their period. These kits contain washable, reusable pads, making them much more economically and environmentally friendly than disposable alternatives, as well as a period tracker so that they can understand their cycles.

We also extend these workshops to parents, which gives us the opportunity to talk about the importance of personal hygiene - for both men and women - and to normalise discussing the topic of menstruation. If they feel less shy themselves on this topic, they can be more supportive towards their daughters when they reach this time of change.

These kits cost approximately $9 each (we either source them from our partners Yakima Freedom Kits for free and pay a $4 per pack transport cost to get them into Cambodia, or we can buy from a local social enterprise for $15 each.) We distribute around 250 packs per year, bringing the total to $2,000.