Grace Period -- Empowering Girls with Sanitary Hygiene

75% of school girls in Zimbabwe cannot afford to buy sanitary products. This not only affects the girls’ health but also strips them of confidence and dignity. 62% miss school every month and 5% drop out of school due to their periods. The girls lose a quarter of their school year to menstruation. Our GRSP student Panashe raised this to Roswell Rotary members and we developed a pilot project with Mbuyazwe Primary and Secondary School that is a partnership among Belmont Rotary, Roswell Rotary Club, and Days for Girls to tackle this issue to ensure that girls in Zimbabwe can go to school and give them a chance to lift themselves out of poverty through education.

We distributed Days for Girls menstrual kits to all of the female students at the school. The kits were created by women in Zimbabwe, contributing to the local economy. The colorful kits contain a drawstring bag for carrying all kit components, absorbent liners, waterproof shields, panties, soap, a washcloth, a carry pouch for washing/storing used liners, and a care and use instruction sheet. Days for Girls Enterprise Zone workers provided education on menstrual health and hygiene to the students, teachers, and parents of the Mbuyazwe Primary and Secondary School.

The school has reported great strides in keeping the girls in school as a result of our program. The school will report the girls’ attendance at school since distribution measure the effectiveness of Grace Period.