Ngeruka Primary School in Bugesera District has received a modern menstrual hygiene management room that is set to help girls ensure menstrual hygiene.

The room was built by Our Past Initiative, a youth-led organization, in partnership with the Bank of Kigali (BK) as the main sponsor as well as Rubis, a petroleum company.

It was equipped with all materials a girl needs during her menstruation period, including period papers and two beds that can be used in case one doesn’t feel well.

During the handover ceremony that happened on Saturday, November 12, Christian Intwali, Founder of Our Past Initiative said that the materials to build the room and other things that’ll be spent on it for a one-year period will all take Rwf30 million.

He explained that the reason why the activities concerning taking care of the room will continue is that they want to increase its capacity so that it can receive up to 600 people as for now, it accommodates 238 and 15 teachers.

"By increasing its capacity, I mean the services that are offered through it, materials that are needed daily and hiring an employee who will take care of it and be paid by us for six months,” said Intwali.

He also noted that the organization will continue to take care of the room in case anything is needed, adding that they also seek to start a project that will help to ensure that the room stays in operation even when they are not available.

Théophile Uwamukiza, the headmaster of Ngeruka Primary School said that the room will help in solving all issues that limited girls from studying given that whenever their menstruation cycle came in, they would go back home.

"It has is washroom, a restroom and a space where they can rest in case they don’t feel well while before, we used to lay down a mattress for them and whenever the situation worsened, the girl would go home,” said. Uwamukiza. "The girls are now going to be accountable for their school results; they will no longer tell us they failed because of menstruation period.”

Malayika Dushimimana, a student in senior six at the school was glad that the room is built in a modern way which is different from the one which was old.

"When periods came, you would go to see the teacher, tell her about it and they would take you to that old room, give you some materials before you go home. We weren’t comfortable given that some children would also come to stalk us. But now the issue is solved,” she said.

Yvette Imanishimwe, Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs in Bugesera District declared that the menstrual hygiene management room is part of the district’s plans.

She urged the students to take care of the one they were given and keep it clean, adding that the district will also ensure that it’ll equipped.

Currently, Our Past Initiative has 442 members in Rwanda and around 300 who reside in America, Canada, China, and Malaysia. They expect to have members in France and Germany in December.

The organization helps in teaching the youth about Rwanda’s harsh past, reminding parents to talk to their children about what characterized the country in the past, hence building good history as well as using the power of youth to improve the wellbeing of the Rwandan community.