This archive report was first published on 5 June 2020.
Published on June 5, 2020, a Mombasa-based charity organization, Usaidi Women and Girl-child society, has started distributing free sanitary towels to vulnerable women and girls in slums at the coastal city.
The founder of the charity organization, Peninah Kimeru Mwakio, said many poor households in informal settlements cannot afford sanitary pads due to the prevailing coronavirus pandemic.
According to Mwakio, many organizations have been distributing food items but have ignored the needs of poor girls and women following the COVID-19 outbreak, leaving their hygienic needs as a public health concern.
“The situation forced us to intervene to help the vulnerable girls who are economically affected by the pandemic, making them unable to access menstrual hygiene items,” Mwakio pointed out.
She called for an end to the stigma associated with menstruation, saying it affects women and girls' social economic activities during their periods.
During the distribution exercise, Nominated Member of the Mombasa County Assembly (MCA) Moses Aran Oindo accompanied the organization members and expressed regret over the high cost of menstruation sanitary materials, making it difficult for girls from poor backgrounds to afford hygienic sanitary pads.
By Hussein Abdullahi
