On 9th April 2021, the Mbale change champions organized a school outreach at Namatala primary school. Namatala Primary School found in Mbale is among the top primary schools facing challenges of teenage pregnancies and high school dropout rates. The school outreach reached out by 450 pupils of 230 were girls and 220boys.
The outreach focused on equipping adolescent girls and boys with knowledge on menstruation to avoid challenges that are more likely to be experienced like stigma from classmates once the girls soil their uniforms, myths, and misconceptions, how to put a sanitary pad on a knicker among others. During the discussions, many of the girls informed our change champions that during the pandemic accessibility of sanitary materials was a challenge. Edith one of our change champions demonstrated to the pupils how to make a homemade sanitary pad using cotton wool and gauze and emphasized the importance of good hygiene practices during menstruation. Among other topics that were covered during the Books, B4 Babies school outreach included STI and HIV prevention, understanding puberty, and dangers of teenage pregnancy and child marriages.
