MAASAI MENSTRUAL HEALTH PROJECT

HELPING YOUNG WOMEN MANAGE A TABOO TOPIC

While a young woman’s first period is often viewed as a natural rite of passage, a lack of education on the topic can cause fear, uncertainty or even shame. Menstruation can be a taboo topic in rural African communities like the Maasai, prompting some young women to hide their periods. This can lead to school absences, preventable health issues and undue stress.

To help these young women form a better understanding of their transition into puberty, AKP partners with the Anne K. Taylor Fund to provide educational classes addressing common self-care and self-esteem issues.

The partnership also supports the Esidai Sanitary Pad Project, a community outreach effort that produces washable sanitary pads sewn by locals. The pads are packed into sanitary kits along with underwear and a waterproof bag, which are then distributed to young Maasai women in need. In 2023, 1,193 of these kits were delivered to 593 young women at six schools, as well as 600 new mothers at the Africa Mission Services Birth Center.

The classes and kits have had a profound impact on the Maasai community. The environmentally friendly sanitary kits enable girls to stay in school and manage their periods more healthily, while the classes address the root causes of menstrual health issues and encourage girls to speak up about a sensitive topic.

As one young woman shared, “Now we understand the basic facts linked to the menstrual cycle and how to manage it with dignity and without discomfort or fear. Before this program, periods would be a shameful experience. I never looked forward to when it would come every month; missing classes would not ease the burden either.”