Through an initiative Dubbed ‘Her Voice Matters’ Amref Health Africa and Procter&Gamble have joined hands to promote menstrual hygiene among under privileged girls in Kenya, during this time when the whole world is under attack from the Coronavirus.

Speaking during the handing over ceremony at the AMREF University in Nairobi, the Group Director of Programme at Amref Africa Ms Mette Kinoti welcomed the timely support from Procter&Gamble in support of needy girls across Kenya. “With this pandemic bringing uncertainties in the way of our lives, the issue of protection of the vulnerable of our society such as young girls should also be supported” Said Ms Kinoti.She added that Amref with expertise across Africa in terms of Health matters has mapped Nairobi,Kisumu and Samburu as places where young girls are very vulnerable particularly this time of Covid19 pandemic.

According to a global advocacy platform for non-profit organizations show that 65% of women and girls in Kenya are unable to afford sanitary pads, which has led to collateral harm towards them. This was expounded by Kibra Constituency Advocate for Girls rights, Ms Editar Ochieng one of the Amref Health partner “girls from the informal settlements such as Kibra are trading their bodies for menstrual pads due to poverty” Says Ms Ochieng.

Distribution of the 16,000 was witnessed by Procter&Gamble Kenya Manager Simon Mwangi who said the donation will make young girls and women have a choice between having a meal and pad.
The menstrual pads will be through partnership between Youth in Action which is a partnership with youth organizations working across the country in the informal settlements like Kibra and other places across the country. Speaking during the ceremony Y-ACT Executive Director Evalin Karijo called for the worrying trend that usual see such situations resulting in many unwanted pregnancies particularly in informal settlements as a result of young girls not having the choice during menstrual periods.

In a recent statement released by UNFPA a United Nations body that deals on women and girls reproductive rights issues,highlighted that women and girls in humanitarian crisis are susceptible to a myriad of challenges including teenage pregnancies as shown in the previous cases such as Ebola Pandemic.