By Kiplat Kapusia
At least 10 girls in West Pokot County miss school for 4 days every month during their monthly peroids due to lack of sanitary towels, which adversely affects their learning.
According to World Vision Project Girl Child Protection officer in West Pokot County Teresa Cheptoo, the girls from low income families miss 36 days for nine months they are supposed to be in school since their parents cannot afford this vital commodity.
Cheptoo also reiterates that that many parents in the area don’t know the importance of the commodity as others lack money to buy pads for their children.
‘Many parents are illiterate hence don’t understand the importance of sanitary towels.
This has discouraged many girls from attending school’, she said.
The World Vision officer challenged the national government, county and nongovernmental organizations to help school girls in pastoral areas with sanitary towels for them to learn well.
Speaking recently at the Alale area in a girl’s sensitization meeting, Ms Cheptoo said sanitary towels are a necessity especially for girls learning in remote areas which were marginalized for a long time.
Ms Cheptoo urged the government to put up measures that will help girls in pastoral areas get sanitary towels saying that they are absent from going to school because they lack the commodity.
“Many girls sit at home because they lack sanitary towels .We as leaders must intervene to make sure that we address this problem,” said Ms Cheptoo.
She called on area leaders to intervene in the matter that has greatly affected girl child education in the area.
“As learners need books and pens, girls need sanitary towels .We want them to have many so that they learn well,” said Ms Cheptoo.
The national government and county should cheap in and help girls get the towels,” said Ms Cheptoo.
Pokot Girl Child Network Coordinator Teresa Lokichu said that there is a need for stakeholders to join hands in promoting girl child education in the area.“We should join hands in the fight against retrogressive culture that has no value in modern society,” said Mrs. Lokichu .
She observed that many girls in the area have dropped out of school following the retrogressive practices.
“We want everybody to promote girl child education as girls have been denied the chance to participate in development,” said Mrs Lokichu.
Mrs. Lokichu said that girls in the area should be given an opportunity to learn to promote the two third gender rule.
“Girls and women in general should be supported to take up leadership positions,” she said.
She called on leaders to help in advocating the anti FGM law hence arrest culprits of FGM.
“The law is clear and those still perpetrating the vice should be sent to jail,” she said.
Mrs Lokichu urged the West Pokot county government to set aside funds for buying sanitary towels and distribute them in girl schools.
“One towel costs forty to fifty shillings hence girls use them on a daily basis,” she said.
She said that many schools in the county are mixed schools hence girls fear to go to school while they are in their period days.
“In many areas you can travel over 50 kilometers without coming across a shop that sells sanitary towels. This had discouraged many girls from attending school. CDF was forced to chip in and rescue the girls,” said Mrs Lokichu.
Area residents called on the county government to help girls with sanitary towels to avert the challenges they face.
“School girls should be provided with sanitary towels for them to learn without problems,” said Chepkatar Lomada, a resident.
They called on the county and national governments to offer bursaries to girls in the area to help in promoting education.
“Our girls have not received bursaries and we urge the county government to intervene,” said Evelyn Chelagat.
