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In Sierra Leone, menstruation is a significant barrier to education. In our schools, 20% of girls who have started their periods miss school when they are menstruating. Menstruation and menstrual hygiene is not talked about to girls in Sierra Leone, so many are surprised and afraid when they start their periods, and have no supplies to manage it. In our schools, 93% of girls who have started their periods did not know what menstruation was before they had their first period. Providing menstrual hygiene tools and reproductive health education is a direct way to keep girls in school and support their healthy growth and development.
Schools for Salone conducts reproductive health education with girls and boys in our schools, and distributes Days for Girls menstruation kits to girls who have started their periods. Uman Tok is a partnership between Schools for Salone USA, Uman TOK Sierra Leone, and Days for Girls. The purpose of Uman Tok is to make menstrual hygiene management and education available to women and girls across Sierra Leone so they can overcome the barriers of menstruation and achieve their dreams.
Since reproductive health education and kit distribution began, there have been zero cases of teenage pregnancy in any SfS partner schools, and the incidence of girls missing school because of their periods has dropped to near zero and remained there. When girls have the menstrual care they need, it empowers them to go to school and pursue a promising future.
