The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) wants the national government and the counties to provide sanitary towels in schools to curb teen pregnancies and prevent learners from dropping out.
Nandi branch vice chair Simon Rono and branch gender secretary Nelly Tanui on Wednesday said girls, particularly from day schools, cannot afford the menstrual products. They noted that period poverty was contributing to absenteeism, girls dropping out of school and teenage pregnancies, which, they noted, account for about 10 per cent of all pregnancies in the county.
“There was a programme to supply towels to all schools. We want the distribution to be constant and clear so that it reaches all schools, especially those in the rural areas,” stated Ms Tanui.
The union, Nandi County Women network and other partners distributed over 700 sanitary towels to more than 10 schools. They targeted students from less-privileged day schools who will sit their KCSE examination from December 2. Some of the institutions that benefitted were Kipsotoi, AIC Masombor and Kimaren secondary schools.
“During the exams period, we want our young girls not to worry but feel comfortable. We want to appeal to other stakeholders to support such initiatives to assist us keep our girls in school,” stated Ms Tanui.
She said that they have set up a desk to collect the sanitary towels from well-wishers to be distributed to learners. “The lack of the towels means that often girls skip classes, a situation that affects their performance and lowers their self-esteem. Some drop out for good, which contributes to poverty in villages.”
Anti-GBV campaign and reproductive health
The unionists said they are also sensitising girls to how to access justice when subjected to sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) and how to improve their sexual and reproductive health, among other initiatives.
Mr Rono noted the need for parents to play a mentorship role and members of the clergy to provide moral compass in the community.
“With Covid-19, we noticed a problem with parenting. As we empower the girls, we also need to empower our girls. Most of our boys end up riding boda bodas without furthering their studies,” hesaid.
Ms Monica Jepkosgei of from Nandi Women Network said most young girls face several hurdles that hinder their access to education. “Some of the schools get the towels for one term, but we ask what happens to the girls in 12 months, as most parents in the villages cannot afford these towels for the girls. We believe that these initiatives will go a long way to improve their lives,” she said.
At the height of the Covid-19 crisis, which resulted in the closure of schools for about a year, Nandi recorded an upsurge in teenage pregnancies. Between 2020 and 2021, over 7,500 girls became pregnant and at least 50 per cent of the reported cases were terminated, according to the county health report.
The county education report states that some of the schoolgirls aged 15–18 were pregnant, when schools reopened after a short holiday.
