School Gets 7 Months Sanitary Pads a Year After Girl Committed Suicide
A school in Bomet County where a girl on her periods committed suicide after being mocked in class has received sanitary pads for the last seven months.
The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Foundation together with Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) provided the sanitary towels to pupils attending Kabiangek Primary School in Konoin Sub-County.
Before this move, the Ministry of Education gave the school 252 sanitary pads, which schools were to give to girls who have reached puberty.
“Menstruation is not a shame. It is crucial for teachers, parents, and pupils to give support to girls during puberty, more so when they are experiencing menstruation periods for the first time.
“A girl should not drop out of school due to lack of sanitary towels and we should not witness incidents where they are ashamed of their periods. Menstruation is a cycle in life and should be approached with dignity,” said Ms. Mutungi
The package delivered to the school has reusable sanitary pads, a facemask, a face towel, underpants, toothpaste, a mirror, and a torch just to mention a few.
Ms. Evalyne Akinyi who is the assistant manager of Boito KTDA urged corporate institutions to donate sanitary pads to girls in schools in the region to help add to the program rolled out by the government intending to reach children in the schools.
On September 6, 2019, a class six student at the school (Kabiangek Primary School) by the name Janeth Vicky Chepngeno took her life after she was allegedly shamed in class because of her menstruation period.
An investigation by the Ministry of Education did not yield any charges on a female teacher who was accused of shaming the girl who ended up committing suicide.
As a result the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) thereafter transferred the teacher to another school in the region. It is not clear whether the teacher in question was transferred because of what transpired in the school last year.
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