Students of Green Hills Academy donated over 40 boxes of sanitary pads to I Matter Initiative, an organisation that seeks to end period poverty and menstrual shame. The students came up with this idea with the aim of empowering young people in society, thanks to Creativity Activity Service (CAS) at their school. CAS is a project under the strand service whereby students are supposed to identify a need in the community then come up with different projects that aim at supporting people in the society. This program is a requirement for international Baccalaureate (IB) program- an international curriculum where students learn from real-life situations and have to go out there and make a difference. According to Serena Birasa one of the students, the idea came up simply because as girls, they could relate with the struggles other young girls out there go through when it comes to affording sanitary towels, especially those with poor backgrounds. “Given the current situation of the pandemic, we thought of a way of collaborating and raise money to support our fellow girls get access to sanitary towels so that they don’t have to miss out on school while in their menstrual period,” she said. With the help of teachers, the students managed to raise a sum of Rwf 510,000 within a period of two weeks. Mireille Mutoni, another student noted that bringing the project to life was fulfilling especially seeing their male counterparts not only empathising with the project but also getting involved fully financially. Christa Rubayiza, a student said apart from just raising money to support the girls, as students, they have got to learn and develop strong skills in teamwork and collaboration. Eric Mbachi, a teacher in charge of the project said this is a real-life learning experience in which learners are able to give back to the community through such ideas. “It’s incredible that young people can come up with such noble ideas to support their fellow young people back in the community. It shows that no one is too young to do anything,” he said. For educators, Mbachi said there is need to give young people a chance, listen to them and encourage them to share their ideas and dreams to just get to know what they have or are capable of doing. Divine Ingabire, executive director of I matter initiative thanked the students for the idea, adding that she was challenged to do more when it comes to supporting young girls. Meanwhile, a report by Global entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) three years ago indicates that one in ten girls in sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their periods. In countries around the world, menstrual hygiene and inadequate sanitation facilities are causing girls to miss classes. Across Africa, a 2016 study by Human Rights Watch estimated that one in ten African girls missed school during menstruation.
