Sabrina

MENSTRAVAGANZA – Celebrating Menstrual Hygiene Day in Toronto!

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On May 28th, the world is celebrating the first ever Menstrual Hygiene Day! Spearheaded by Wash United, more than 80 NGOs around the world are working together to start the conversation about menstruation, and break down the taboo!

Menstruation is stigmatized around the world – including Canada – and the consequences are extremely destructive to young women in developing communities. There is no reason why a woman’s body should be such a source of shame and embarrassment that it stops her from attending school and participating in daily activities.
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How does your country think about menstruation?

Here are some of the facts:

– In Kenya, the average girl will miss 4.9 days of school each month during her period, adding up to about 20% of the school year.

– In Ghana, girls miss up to 5 days a month attributed to inadequate sanitation facilities and the lack of sanitary products at school as well as physical discomfort due to menstruation, such as cramps.

– 32.5% of schoolgirls from South Asia had not heard about menstruation prior to menarche and an overwhelming 97.5% did not know that menstrual blood came from the uterus.

– 83% of girls in Burkina Faso and 77% in Niger have no place at school to change their sanitary menstrual materials.

While working in Mathare over the last year, we have learned that over 75% of girls had no idea what their period was before it started. They reported feeling scared, embarrassed and ashamed, causing them to make the choice to stay in their homes during their periods.

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Menstrual Hygiene Day is a huge step towards starting the conversation about menstruation, and helping girls around the world stay in school, every day of the month! Over 80 partners around the world are coming together, planning events, and we want YOU to join us in Toronto!

Femme will be co-hosting MENSTRAVAGANZA at the Revue on Thursday May 29th at the Revue Cinema on Roncesvailles. The event is presented by Canadian MH Day Partners Crankytown, YOUR BOX CLUB and Period Makeover, and will be a night filled with period cinema and discussion.

Crankytown will be announcing the winners of 2014 Crankyfest, followed by an exclusive screening of the winning short films! Crankyfest is the world’s only online film festival dedicated to menstruation and the three co-founders are dedicated to changing the way menstruation is viewed in the media.

We will be screening the award winning documentary ‘Menstrual Man’, the remarkable story of Arunachalam Muruganantham – the Indian man who has started the sanitary pad revolution in India. 

Following the films, we will be hosting a brief panel discussion about why menstruation is such an important issue to talk about – here in Canada and around the world. The first twenty guests will receive special gift bags from YOUR BOX CLUB.

Tickets are $10, with all proceeds going to our educational programming in Kenya. 

#MenstruationMatters to our dedicated team, why does it matter to you? Join the conversation on May 28th.

Sabrina Rubli

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Sabrina

Femme in Moshi: A Training of Trainers with TEACH!

PictureCo-Founder Sabrina Rubli with TEACH trainees!

Femme is growing! Last week our field staff spent time in Moshi, Tanzania to partner with TEACH: Time To Empower Africa’s Children, a UK-based NGO. TEACH has been present in Moshi for the past few years and has developed several strong programs which focus on the education and empowerment of young people in their communities. TEACH combines social enterprise with community development to create an innovative and effective development model.

Currently, TEACH is working towards the implementation of a new Female Health Program in the summer of 2014, which will focus on providing women and girls in the community with essential health education and sustainable menstrual management supplies.
Femme staff conducted a two-day Training of Trainers session with TEACH staff to teach them about the Feminine Health Management program we have implemented in Mathare. The overall goal of the Training was to share specific challenges and successes Femme has encountered while in the field, in the hopes that TEACH’s project this summer can be as successful as possible!

Each female trainer was provided with a Femme Kit, including a reusable menstrual cup, in order to help her better explain to beneficiaries how they work, and how to properly use it!

PictureTwo TEACH trainees make a presentation on proper usage of a menstrual cup.

Ten TEACH staff were present for the Training, and the positive energy in the room was exciting! Day One covered basic female anatomy, the menstrual cycle, and the introduction of the menstrual cup! We also focused on the importance of establishing safe spaces within workshops and answering student’s questions in a respectful and appropriate way.

On Day Two, we explored teaching techniques and discussed how keep students engaged and how to make the workshops interactive, fun and educational. The session completed with trainees making short presentations on what they had learned over the course of the session, and facilitating a variety of activities.
Femme and TEACH share similar values when in comes to development programming, and we excited to continue this partnership as the years go on. We are thrilled that they will be implementing such a high quality Female Health Project this summer! International Development should be a collaborative effort between organizations and communities, and by partnering with like-minded groups, we are ensuring the best possible programs are delivered to beneficiaries. Femme and TEACH will continue to discuss future opportunities for partnerships, in Moshi and Nairobi!

Sabrina Rubli

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