My name is Ms. Tariqa Ismail, Helping Hands Pwani Charity NGO’s Head of the Health, Hygiene and Sanitation Department.
Our Department is running a sanitary pad campaign known as The Red Dot Initiative. This is a Menstrual Hygiene Management campaign that aims to empower pubescent girls and also eradicate period poverty in our region. We aim to uplift young teenage girls via menstrual hygiene management education and also sanitary pad distribution.
Our Red Dot Initiative Sanitary Pad Campaign team members include:
Ms. Tariqa Ismail- Campaign Manager
Ms. Munira Ost- Campaign finance and procurement
Ms. Suad Rodrigues- Campaign Coordinator
Ms. Sonya - Counselling and advisor
Ms. Nouf Mohamed - Campaign programs officer
Ma. Nafisa Noordin - Campaign programs officer
Ms. Aisha- Campaign programs officer
Our Red dot Initiative Team is made of resilient and passionate women who work tirelessly to ensure we deliver our promise on the ground. Together, as a team, we deliver sanitary pads, host Menstrual Hygiene Management Workshops, and, distribute period hampers to a number of orphanages that are under the care of our Helping Hands Charity NGO to sustain onboarding pubescent girls during their monthly periods.
65% of Kenyan girls lack access to sanitary pads and most of these girls are exposed to Early Sex which is used as a means of exchange for cash to buy sanitary pads leading to unwanted pregnancies.
Currently due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, there have been several confirmed news reports about young teenage pregnancies, which result due to rape, casual sex and trading sex for sanitary pad money. Due to the current Economic situation, many households and Children's Homes are in dire need of assistance, therefore, as our Mother Organization, Helping Hands, steps in to assist in matters of Food aid and construction aid, Our Red Dot Initiative Team Steps in to assist teenage girls in the premises with not only sanitary pads and other essentials but also offer advice and hold MHM discussions with these young girls.
We are currently supporting approximately 300 girls in Mombasa and its Environs. Our current project is the Femme Self Care Hampers, and our main mission is to raise money to enable us to continuously provide the items required for these period kits.
The essential items contained in our Femme Self Care Hampers include:
1. Three packs of Sanitary Pads
2. Bath Soap
3. Two Panties
4. Toothpaste
5. Toothbrush.
These items including its package costs a total of Kenya Shillings 450.00 which is less than 5 dollars a hamper. We are aiming to raise money for 300 hampers via this platform. Every Donation towards this cause will enable our Initiative to assist girls in need and hopefully save them from some of these societal vices teenage girls face.
Thank you....
