About nine months ago I started a social business called Sis Hope, which is dedicated to lowering the high rates of menstrual related absenteeism among school age girls in Uganda.
It all started back in a little village outside of Mbale, Uganda, where I first learned that girls were staying home from school during their period. Yep, it's true. A teen girl gets her period and simply stays home from school for the duration of the week. Why? Because she doesn't have access to affordable menstrual products.
Most girls and women resort to using ineffective materials such as treebark and pieces of newspaper which, of course, fail miserably at preventing embarrassing leaks and stains. So girls stay home during their period, about five days a month, and over time begin to fall further and further behind in their school work.
Surprisingly this issue doesn't get a lot of attention. I have no idea why. Maybe it's because we're talking about menstruation and that still gives people the ibby jeebies. I don't get it. Half the world menstruates and I believe strongly that girls should not have to miss out on their education simply because they don't have a tampon. And we shouldn't be ashamed to talk about it.
Check out the website if you want to learn more about Sis Hope. To be honest, it has been an incredible learning experience for me. But the sad truth is I've had a difficult time getting it off the ground. I'm basically doing it alone and just don't have the time to really make it what it should be. Right now I'm considering whether or not I should move on or keep plugging away at it. But it's hard folks. Lots of blood, sweat, and tears has gone into this endeavor. (Ok, maybe not blood but you get the idea) I've had lots of ups and downs, but I'm proud to say that Sis Hope has distributed over 600 pads to girls and women in Uganda. I'm not sure if my journey ends there, but I'll keep you updated!
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