On 5th July 2024, the Kamau Wairuri Foundation team visited Rwathia Mixed Secondary School in Kangema District, Murang'a County to implement activities under our Dignified Learning Program.
The activity was preceded by a visit to the school, where Dr Kamau Wairuri and the team, engaged with the school community to understand their needs. The community noted that many of the families in the area were facing economic difficulties. As a result, many girls were missing school during their periods as they were unable to access basic menstrual hygiene products. According to one of the teachers at the school, some girls were previously missing up to three days of school per month during their menstrual cycle, contributing to a gap in performance between male and female students. There was also concern that this led girls to engage in unsafe sex with older men in search of fund to buy the pads, in some cases leading to teenage pregnancies with the young mothers often forced to drop out of school.
The school leadership also identified several orphaned students who were being raised by their grandmothers who had been unable to buy school uniforms for them. This was a great source of difficulty for the children as some had to wear the uniforms that they wore in primary school despite having graduated to secondary school.
Our Dignified Learning program aims to support children from underprivileged backgrounds to access formal education in a dignified manner. This includes providing them with school uniforms and dignity packs that include basic hygiene supplies and also support learning more broadly by providing mentorship sessions to the students through school visits.
During our visit to Rwathia Mixed Secondary School, the Kamau Wairuri Foundation team all the 90 girls at the school were provided with sanitary towels. Each girl received three packets of sanitary towels, which are expected to last them for the entire school term. This will curb absenteeism among female students due to the lack of sanitary towels.
We also provided 2 sets of uniforms to the 3 orphaned students to help them fit in better in the school community and build their confidence.
The team also facilitated a mentorship session with the student body at the school, addressing various issues including career guidance, academic performance, and self-esteem. The session emphasized the importance of focusing on their studies and developing a clear vision for their future career paths.
Vio Wainaina, the Programs Coordinator at the foundation, also took the opportunity to discuss child protection and safeguarding with the 75 adults, teachers and parent, who were present at the event. She sensitized the adults and the students on the procedures for reporting any form of abuse, including using the governmental structures from the Ward levels and how to escalate matters. This session highlighted the Foundation's commitment to not only supporting students' educational journeys but also ensuring their safety and well-being. The activity was attended by over 250 people (180 students and over 70 adults), making it an opportune time to engage with the community on these crucial matters.
From the feedback of the school community, the foundation appreciates the significant need that exists to support both girls and boys with basic hygiene products to ensure sustained school attendance, improved academic performance for girls and also to build their self-esteem. We also learnt about the significance of mentorship sessions focusing on career guidance, mental health and safeguarding in order to ensure the overall wellbeing of the school going children in the region. Moving forward, there is need to continue working closely with the school community at Rwathia, and other schools in the region, to address challenges faced by students and ensure their holistic development.