By Lydia Ngoolo
About 5000 school going children have benefitted from dignity packs geared to improve personal hygiene and school academic performance.
The targeted beneficiaries drawn from various learning institutions in Makueni county include both boys and girls in disadvantaged primary, secondary schools, county technical institutes and special schools.
The initiative is spearheaded by the County First Lady Nazi Kivutha in partnership with the department of Gender, Children, Culture and Social Services.
The initiative distributes dignity packs to both boys and girls as well as sensitizing girls on menstrual hygiene management and general personal hygiene.
The boys dignity pack had a bar soap, three inner wears, toothpaste and brush. That of the girls contained extra packets of sanitary towels which can last them for a term in school.
“One of the major causes of school absenteeism is lack of sanitary towels leading to poor performance with some of the learners ending up dropping out of school. We want to retain our girls in schools,” stated Nazi.
The programme was concluded last week at Malili township primary school and ABC Ngaamba secondary at Malili sub county.
