The project sets out to ensure primary school-children, especially girls, are enrolled in school, stay in school, perform well and continue to secondary and higher institutions of learning. Attending school has been shown to have a positive effect on girls’ lives, as well as their future.
In 2015, Government together with its partners signed a charter committing to promote menstrual Health management. In the same year, the Ministry of Education and Sports issued out a circular to all districts, schools and institutions of learning highlighting guidelines on Menstrual Health management(MHM). The Education and Sports Sector has also conducted capacity building programs of senior women and men teachers on MHM. Government of Uganda in the Second National Development Plan (2016/17- 2019/20) committed to support MHM including supply of sanitary towels among girls in primary and secondary schools.
It is against this background that SOHM has come up with a campaign Keep a Girl in School to support the Ministry of Education and Sports in the key functions of advocacy, coordination and resource mobilization for MHM in schools.
Menstrual Health Management (MHM) is a big agenda of the Smile of Hope Ministries (SOHM). Our initiatives aim at implementing interventions that will enable knowledge dissemination and to improve access to hygienic sanitation facilities and menstrual supplies for the continuous improvement of MHM both at community and school level.
Obstetric Fistula
In Partnership with some Hospitals, SOHM promotes fistula awareness and prevention through community outreaches and brings women for surgery to heal their injury. Fistula has been found to be a big challenge to adolescent’s girls and young women in the region.
When girls attend school, they are likely to marry later and have fewer children.
Availing these girls with the basic necessities like underwear and sanitary towels will help them to stay in school thereby reducing on the rates of child marriages and teenage pregnancies there by promoting retention and completion of education by the Girl child.
They are less likely to be the victim of domestic violence. The project will provide sanitary towels, underwear and Trainings
