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Faith Wanda shows a sanitary pad she crafted from grass at her home in Nakuru on March 27, 2025. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]
Every month, one in ten schoolgirls in sub-Saharan Africa misses class because of menstruation. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) estimates this adds up to six weeks of lost learning each year. In Kenya, the Ministry of Education reports that more than one million girls are affected monthly.
Despite a government allocation of Sh940 million in 2023, only 22 per cent of the most vulnerable girls received sanitary pads. The rest are often left to manage with rags, old mattress sponges or nothing at all. For many in rural and low-income areas, menstruation is not just a health issue, it is a barrier to dignity, education and equality.
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