During the big break, students gather on the school field of Dimtu Hambela in southern Ethiopia. In the midst of them, Kejeltu Geltu, 17, holds a microphone. Her voice carries across the square. 'We no longer miss classes!', she says. 'We're not ashamed anymore!' Until recently, she regularly stayed away from school during her menstruation.
In rural Ethiopia, many families are so poor that girls and women cannot afford sanitary pads. Traditionally, women make do with cloth rags. For many teenagers, this isn't a solution they feel comfortable with at school. Therefore, many girls stay home during their periods. 'Due to the absences, we kept falling behind the boys in the class,' says Kejeltu.
These learning gaps endanger girls’ educational success. Many don't return to school regularly after their periods and eventually drop out altogether. They give up their dreams—and their resistance to traditional values: Many parents consider educating daughters to be of little use. They would be married off early anyway, so goes the widespread belief.
Many Teenagers Marry
World Menstruation Day on May 28 highlights these issues. The day of action draws attention to how a lack of menstrual hygiene affects girls’ education opportunities.
At Dimtu Hambela primary school, the imbalance is evident in the numbers: There are 322 boys at the school, but only 208 girls. Those who no longer attend school are considered marriageable. Soon, young men come to the house to ask the parents for their daughter's hand. In rural Ethiopia, every seventh girl is married before her 15th birthday. Thus, the cycle continues that education could actually break: Poverty is passed on to the next generation.
That is why the Swiss foundation People for People initiates and supports so-called 'Girls Clubs' in Ethiopian schools. Social workers collaborate with selected teachers to boost the girls' self-confidence and break the stigma.
'Don't Hide!'
Iftu Merga teaches mathematics at the primary school in Dimtu Hambela. She runs the 'Girls Club' voluntarily. The teacher has gathered 36 female students there. Members discuss hygiene, harmful traditions such as early marriage, and equality. They then bring this knowledge to their classes, families, and neighborhoods in their villages. They explain why every family should dig a pit latrine, why birth spacing is important, and why girls don't need to stay home during their menstruation. 'You don't need to hide when you have your period!' is the message.
For about a year now, People for People has been providing sanitary pads to 21 primary schools in the Hambela Wamena district. 1643 girls regularly collect their packs from trusted teachers.
The necessity of the program was evident from the start. 'When we first wanted to distribute pads, many girls were hesitant,' reports teacher Iftu Merga. 'They were embarrassed to be associated with it.' Some girls even asked to have their names removed from the lists.
The Distrust of Parents
Because the idea met with distrust among parents. Why is something being given out for free that usually costs money? Some suspected hidden motives, others feared health side effects. There is also a deeper concern: changes could shake familiar rules. When girls speak more openly about their bodies, appear more confident, and move more freely, the accustomed order shifts. This prospect scares some parents, many of whom have never been to school themselves.
Change doesn't happen overnight. But constant dripping wears away the stone, says Azenegash Wondemu, 47, girls' and women's officer in the People for People project: 'Reproductive health and equality are integral parts of our training, whether in women's savings group meetings, men's agricultural advice, or community gatherings.'
Determining One’s Own Life
'I have learned in the Girls Club to speak openly about my needs,' says student Kejeltu. It's about a bigger goal: 'We want to finish school and then go on to further education. Only then can we determine our own lives.'
In the Girls Club, they have understood that they can help themselves. Iftu Merga reports that girls come to her with their worries and secrets. 'Some said they couldn't use the pads,' reports the teacher, 'because their parents couldn't afford to buy them underwear.' In the Girls Club, they looked for a solution together. During their meetings, they now craft handiwork and sell it in the community. 'The money is meant for such emergencies.'
People for People combats poverty and hunger. The foundation was founded by actor Karlheinz Böhm (1928 - 2014). In the spirit of its founder, the Swiss aid organization creates life perspectives for the poorest families in Ethiopia. The aim of the work is to ensure they can live with dignity in their homeland. The main focuses of the individual projects are the promotion of women, vocational training, microcredits, child aid, family planning, and agricultural development. The components are combined according to local needs and implemented with carefully selected local partners.
Donation account: Post account 90-700 000-4, IBAN: CH97 0900 0000 9070 0000 4
Donate online: www.mfm.ch
Media contact: For more information or interviews with experts, please contact: Michael Kesselring
m.kesselring@mfm.ch
Tel.: +41 (0)43 499 10 60