Let’s talk about menstruation – A simple way to eradicate period-related absences in a Ugandan school
Three out of four girls in Uganda miss school because they are menstruating. At Bukere secondary school, the problem has been solved by raising awareness about menstruation among both girls and boys.
Text: Elisa Rimaila Photos: Antti Yrjönen
THE EXCITEMENT of over a hundred teenagers combined with the glow of an equatorial afternoon have stirred up the air in the classroom so thick you could almost bottle it. The youngsters sit cramped in their desks, squealingas teacher Jolly Kyogabirwe begins a lesson on reproductive health and sexual rights at Bukere secondary school in central Uganda.
Now let’s talk about menstruation! The rumble slowly calms down..
“Menstruation is not an illness that should make you stay home and out of school,” says Kyogabirwe.
In the front row, a few girls look at each other. In the back, the boys lean forward with interest, letting the teacher continue.
“If your period starts during the school day, the school has disposable sanitary towels for emergencies. We will help you so that you can stay in school despite your period,” teacher Kyogabirwe addresses the girls.
IN REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS in particular, menstrual absenteeism is a real threat to education. Many girls are absent from school for several days each month.
Bukere secondary school is fighting absenteeism by organising menstrual hygiene lessons and distributing a bag of sanitary towels, soap and underwear to girls.
Teacher Kyogabirwe goes through the signs that the body gives before menstruation starts and reminds you to be aware of your menstrual cycle.
The boys in the back seat are keen to ask questions.
“Why are the pads different sizes – and that one so huge?”
“How long can you use one sanitary towel?”
Best Kemigisa, 20, a student in Bukere secondary school, shows other students the products she received as part of Finn Church Aid’s menstrual hygiene package.
Reusable pads save money
At the end of the lesson, girls and boys can talk freely.
“It’s interesting to know how things work. Some of us boys didn’t know anything before,” says Emmanuel Nsengimana, 20.
“It’s good to have a conversation together,” continues Best Kemigisa, 20.
The lesson makes Manzi Biraguma, 16, wonder whether it would be possible to make a business out of making reusable pads. The boy’s comment makes the girls laugh, but it’s actually not a bad idea, confirms Sonia Kyasiimire, an education specialist at the Finn Church Aid (FCA) office in Uganda.
“If we could get more funding, we could organise a workshop to learn how to make reusable pads for sale. The training could be combined with vocational studies, for example,” says Kyasiimire.
The life cycle of a single reusable pad is about a year, making them a better environmental alternative to disposable shelters. If girls made their own pads, they could also save money.
A five-piece package of reusable pads costs 25,000 Ugandan shillings (six euros), while disposable pads cost girls between 5.000 and 10,000 shillings (about 1.5-2.5 euros) per month.
In the refugee area, it is a significant amount. The cost of one package of disposable sanitary towels is equivalent to about half of the cash grant given to qualifying families by UNHCR each month.
“Many parents have not been educated about menstrual hygiene. It can be difficult for them to understand why girls should be provided with separate menstrual protection,” says Manzi Biraguma.
The girls nod. Lack of knowledge can lead to discrimination and exclusion from everyday activities such as socially important religious gatherings.
“There are communities here that may believe that girls are ‘unclean’ during menstruation or that they are somehow harmful,” says Patience Kabarokore, 17.
Manzi Biraguma and Emmanuel Nsengimana are happy boys have been granted an access to their school’s menstrual hygiene classes.
Emmanuel Nsengimana points out that girls themselves can avoid being stigmatised by taking the management of their menstrual hygiene into their own hands.
“Boys in particular may want to sit somewhere other than next to a girl who doesn’t have proper protection. They might be embarrassed. I’m serious, there are boys like that!”
The comment leads to a debate between girls and boys about whether menstruation is something to be ashamed of.
“Menses are part of normal life. The fact that you are menstruating just means that you are normal,” says Best Kemigisa.
“Sometimes it is difficult to participate in the joy and activities of others during menstruation. Especially if you’re not feeling well. Then I feel ashamed,” defends Fatumah Kenganzi, 17.
She says that as a Muslim she is not allowed to pray or fast during her periods.
“It’s quite understandable. Even a prayer mat can get dirty,” she reflects.
In Ugandan refugee settlements menstrual hygiene may be challenging to maintain due to lack of money. Menstrual hygiene isn’t a priority for families living on less than two dollars a day. This leads to girls staying home when they’re having their period.
Lack of sanitary towels robs girls their education
In Bukere, every young person knows someone who has missed school because of their period. And no wonder, because according to Uganda’s Ministry of Education 2020 data, three out of four school-age girls miss 2-3 school days a month due to menstruation. According to the same statistics, up to 65% of girls and women in Uganda feel unable to afford adequate menstrual protection.
“Girls would certainly like to use disposable pads, but they are not very accessible here,” says Sonia Kyasiimire, referring to the high price of sanitary towels.
Fatumah Kenganzi would like to use disposable pads if she had the money to buy them.
FCA’s menstrual hygiene work involves more than just handing out sanitary pads and teaching lessons. At Bukere secondary school, changing rooms and water points have been built next to the toilets to make girls’ daily lives easier. According to 2020 statistics, only 60% of girls and women reported that they had regular access to water for washing and safe, sheltered places for changing.
Fatumah Kenganzi is the only girl who would prefer to use disposable protection if she had the choice. But her life with reusable pads is made easier by the fact that she lives in a school dormitory.
“The school has water for washing and shelter. At the primary school I went to, if there was an accident, you had to go home in the middle of the day to wash.”
The situations where girls are most nervous are when their periods start unexpectedly in the middle of the school day. The school day can become embarrassing, especially because of boys’ behaviour.
“They mock it, calling it a ‘blood skirt’, and everyone hears about it,” says Patience Kabarokore.
Best Kemigisa, Fatumah Kenganzi and Patience Kabarokore have had their share of listening to boys mocking girls when they find out they have their period. Sometimes the menstruation begins in the middle of a school day leading the girls leave home and skipping classes.
The comment makes the boys look at each other.
“I think we do it out of ignorance. It boggles the mind to even think about where the blood comes. We boys are sensitive,” Biraguma defends himself.
“Girls can talk openly about these issues. Come and tell us if you need help. We will help,” Nsengimana continues.
The last sentence makes all three girls burst out laughing. Patience Kabakore, however, is grateful that the boys are now getting information through school.
“I think boys are genuinely interested in these things. Now they have the opportunity to participate and learn. Until a few years ago, they were expelled from class when we started talking about menstruation.”
How will boys use the information they learn about menstrual hygiene at school?
“If I had a wife and she needed help with washing the pads, of course I’d help,” says Biraguma, after a moment’s thought.
The girls don’t believe him.
“No way! You don’t even know what menstrual blood smells like,” challenges Fatumah Kenganzi.
“Yes. I’m at least going to offer to help my wife when I have one some day. My wife is my responsibility. Of course I would,” Biraguma promises.
Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness day on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management at a global level.
‘At night I was afraid someone would come’: In Nepal, girls are still banished to so-called ‘menstruation huts’.
FCA works for gender equality and menstrual hygiene rights, so that girls and women have the opportunity to take control of their own lives.
Text: Elisa Rimaila Photos: Antti Yrjönen
TO GET INTO THE HUT, you have to take a big leap up. That’s good, because otherwise snakes and various ground-dwelling insects would find it easier to surprise those sleeping in thisdoorless shack. This is where Nepali Laxmi Sarki, 27, has spent five nights every month for the past almost nine years – ever since her period began.
“At night I was afraid that someone would come. We live on the edge of a national park and there are also a lot of snakes there,” says Sarki.
There are real risks to sleeping alone outside, isolated from others. In Nepal, dozens of deaths have been linked to the practice of Chhaupadi over the last decade. Chhaupadi is the isolation of girls and women in so-called “menstruation huts” during their period and is still practised in some communities, despite being illegal in Nepal since 2005. The deaths are most often caused by bites from poisonous snakes or by carbon monoxide gas from wood stoves that provide heat. Of course, girls and women in isolation are also vulnerable to sexual violence.
The practice of isolation during menstruation stems from the long-held idea that girls and women are unclean during their periods. Therefore, they should ‘protect’ other family members from illness and bad luck by sleeping in isolation for five nights from the day their period begins.
“I feel bad that this has to be done, but all the women here are in the same situation,” says Sarki.
Laxmi Sarki, 27, lives in Kanchanpur in south-western Nepal, in a community where women have to isolate themselves from the rest of the family in a separate menstrual house during menstruation. This isolation is due to beliefs associated with menstruation that women are unclean and can bring bad luck to their families.
Women’s household chores change during the menstrual cycle. For example, they are not allowed to fetch water for their family, or even to water their vegetable garden or take part in cooking. The severity of restrictions and isolation varies from place to place.
In Sarki’s Dalit community in Kanchanpur district, FCA has been working with its local partner organisation NEEDS Nepal to support women’s equality and livelihood opportunities. The work targets particularly vulnerable women.
In addition to training on economics and business, FCA’s work in Nepal has also included sections on gender equality, such as taboos related to the menstrual cycle and the harmful Chhaupadi tradition. This led to the construction of women’s safe houses in communities where women can come during their periods, according to Srijana Joshi, a local expert at NEEDS Nepal.
“It is a testament to the strength of the tradition that it has not been completely abandoned here, even though some of these women have been educated. Equality is still a long way off, but communities have identified harmful practices and this is a first step,” says Joshi.
Last year, Laxmi Sarki gave up her old hut, built of wood, tarpaulin and clay next to the cattle shed. In its place, his family has now built a small brick-built house with a real bed, a lockable door, electric lights and a fan.
“Now I feel safer,” she says.
Preeti Kumari Das, 15, learned to sew reusable pads under Poonam Mahara. The girls have learnt to use old fabrics to make durable garments, so there are no costs involved in making them.
ABOUT 800 KILOMETERS east of Kanchanpur, twenty teenage girls are preparing to learn more about menstrual hygiene. This time, their teacher, community activist Poonam Mahara, is helping them finish sewing their own sanitary napkins.
“We use old saris as materials, fabric that you can find in everyone’s home,” says Mahara.
“I got the idea for the material and the design after watching a video on YouTube. I started thinking that this is a soft fabric and easy to wash and dry in the sun,” she continues.
“To make reusable sanitary pads, we use old saris as materials, fabric that you can find in everyone’s home,” says Poonam Mahara.
There is plenty of sunshine in Nepal’s southern Terai lowlands. At the time of the meeting, the temperature has climbed to 40 degrees Celsius, but fortunately it is possible to hold the lessons in the recess of a building that provides shade from the harshest sun. Carpets of dried grasses act as seating, as well as cooling the air.
Today’s group consists of 20 girls, aged between 10 and 19. Poonam Mahara has picked most of them up from their homes after talking to their parents. In this community, the girls’ lives are very limited and it is by no means a given that they will even get to school.
“Sometimes, especially at the beginning, it was difficult to get permission from their parents, but now I am already known in the community. When I started, I didn’t know many people,” says Poonam Mahara.
Poonam Mahara wanted to make a difference in her community. “I now know more about things myself and I know that menstruation is a perfectly normal thing. I want to teach this knowledge to others. It is important for me that girls know their rights as early as possible and that they are not married too early and are allowed to go to school.”
“In this culture, people tend to get married very young, and in these classes we also talk about why it’s important to take care of yourself and do things for yourself, not just focus on your responsibilities.”
Those responsibilities can start at a very young age, as girls move into their spouse’s home when they get married. Housework usually ends up being the responsibility of the young daughter-in-law under the supervision of her parents-in-law. The legal age for marriage in Nepal is now 20, but often girls, especially from the poorest families, are married or given in marriage by their parents at a much younger age, as young as 13 or 14.
Grita Mahara, 17, says she used to be very shy. “I feel I have changed a lot since I joined this group, got information and got to know others. Now I have the courage to speak up for myself and I want a profession for myself.”
“At that age, the body is still changing a lot and there are other challenges associated with growing up. One of them is menstruation and especially not being able to afford menstrual pads,” says Poonam Mahara.
The project, supported by the FCA, started in December 2022 in a community in the Dhanusa region, based on the observation that many girls from marginalised groups lacked basic information about their own body functions and rights, and that child marriage was common.
“Menstruation is a taboo subject and the stigma around it makes it difficult to talk about menstruation to anyone, even within your own family. Menstruation is not considered a normal thing and that’s bad for everyone,” says Poonam Mahara.
When it comes to menstruation, it is strictly between women. Girls usually can’t even talk about it with their own brothers or fathers.
“Even if these girls get to school, they don’t get this kind of information about menstruation and so on at school. Teachers are usually men,” says Poonam Mahara.
Kajol Mahara, 17, listening next to her, nods cautiously. She has learned to sew herself a proper sanitary napkin in FCA-supported training courses. Her family is poor and she cannot afford to buy her daughter menstrual pads. Many girls and women use some kind of folded piece of cloth to protect themselves.
“In the past, I had to miss school during my period because I didn’t have proper protection. Now I don’t have to,” says Kajol Mahara.
Poonam Mahara herself comes from the same community. She studied in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It was only after her marriage and return to her home community that she realised how many problems there were in the lives of girls and women. That’s why she wanted to help.
“I’ve also received a huge amount of support from my mother-in-law. She has encouraged me along the way and is like a mother to me. I love her so much,” Poonam Mahara rejoices.
Mother-in-law Sarabati Mahara appears at the same moment. She says that she herself has learned a lot about menstruation and women’s rights from her daughter-in-law.
“Our family are poor farmers, but my daughter-in-law is educated. It’s great that she can do this kind of work and doesn’t just have to stay at home. Because she is working, my grandchildren will also get a good education.”
Harvesting equality in Nepal: FCA & partners talk climate resilient development at CSW
At the 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, FCA and Nepali partners discussed the effects of climate change on women while sharing practical solutions.
Gender agenda for women in Nepal
CLIMATE CHANGE and environmental protection form a strategically important gender agenda for women in Nepal now and in the future.
The FCA event took place during the UN’s annual Commission on the Status of Women.
On March 12, 2024, experts gathered in New York during the UN’s event on gender quality. FCA hosted an event, co-sponsored by Finland that focused on how to mitigate the effects of climate change on Nepali women farmers, while remaining gender responsive and supporting economic empowerment.
The event drew on experiences from the GRAPE project in Nepal, a climate-resilient agriculture programme that FCA works on with main implementer, German development agency, GiZ.
Laura Rissanen, the State Secretary to the Minister of Social Security of Finland, opened the session by describing FCA’s work with Nepalis and how grassroots approaches and inclusion of women and girls is when climate action can make an impactful difference.
Ms Rissanen also highlighted that 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of Finland/Nepal diplomatic relations.
State Secretary Laura Rissanen opened the event
Shikha Shrestha from VSO Nepal emphasised that time and again, women’s voices are not heard.
Shikha Shrestha underlined that women must be involved in disaster relief.
“Women are always being engaged in agriculture & our knowledge & expertise is not considered. We need to consider holistic approach & have voices of women making the plan for disaster relief.”
The vivid panel discussion touched on the topic from various entry points with examples from mountainous indigenous women realities on the ground as well as experiences shared by women from marginalized communities, complemented by findings from recent research on how actually climate financing has remain very thin.
Yasso Kanti from the National Indigenous Women Forum narrated from firsthand experience the challenges and triumphs faced by indigenous women in their pursuit of equitable participation in agricultural endeavors amidst the ever-evolving climate landscape.
“There needs to be concrete recognition & action to putting indigenous peoples contributions at the forefront because indigenous people, especially women and girls, are mostly affected by land and climate induced conflicts,” she said.
Et ole hyväksynyt markkinoinnin evästeitä nähdäksesi videon.
Watch how climate change is threatening women farmers in Nepal
The panel also included DanChurchAid‘s Senior Advisor in Gender Equality, Kira Ugaz-Simonsen and youth climate activist, Tashi Lhazom, who joined remotely.
“Climate Change impacts everyone, but not equally. Key is the decentralization in power & resources. In most cases, it’s not an issue for women to speak out but for women to be listened to,” she contributed via remote link.
Youth climate activist, Tashi Lhazom joined the panel remotely
Targeted actions to mitigate the effects of climate change on women and gender equality remains extremely low whist there are growing needs to finance mitigation measures to women farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs on climate change effects and prevention of further damage.
While the challenges of the Nepali women remain complex with deeply rooted gender stereotypes and practices, the discussion proved commitment and true trust for the better future as long as women’s agricultural role and potential is truly recognised and nurtured.
Panel biographies
Laura Rissanen
Laura Rissanen has served as State Secretary to the Minister of Social Security since June 2023 and is responsible for EU and international affairs that fall within the Minister’s area of responsibility, and matters related to gender equality, occupational safety and health, and farm relief services. Rissanen has over twenty years of experience in policymaking, ranging from municipality decision-making to the European Parliament.
Tashi Lhazom
Tashi Lhazom is a prominent climate activist working at the intersection of climate action, gender equality, indigenous rights, and political literacy. She has spoken at grassroots, national, and global platforms. Tashi is a Co-Founder of two civil society initiatives, is a researcher and filmmaker, using storytelling to bring awareness to critical climate challenges in the Himalayan region.
Yasso Kanti Bhattachan
Yasso Kanti Bhattachan presently holds the position of Vice-Chairperson at the National Indigenous Women Forum. She is an esteemed figure known for her pivotal role as an advocate, researcher and leader for Indigenous Women’s Rights. Yasso is one of the founding members and advisor at the National Indigenous Women Federation and a Regional Council member of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), and the South Asia Focal Person of the Asian Indigenous Women’s Network (AIWN).
Kira-Ugaz Simonsen
Kira Ugaz-Simonsen is a Senior Advisor in Gender Equality at DanChurchAid, based in the head office in Copenhagen. Kira has more than 10 years’ experience working with gender responsiveness in development programming, both as a gender specialist and independent consultant, with experience from a broad range of countries. She has previously lived and worked with gender issues in Mozambique for close to five years and have prior to that, worked for UN Women in Bolivia.
Shikha Shrestha
Shikha Shrestha has more than 25 years of experiences on gender equality and social inclusion, feminist leadership, and good governance. Currently working with VSO Nepal as Country Project Implementation Lead, she completed her masters in forest ecology that helps her to understand agenda of climate change both from gender and ecological perspectives. Shikha has been actively engaged in promoting gender agenda in climate change actions and systematizing efforts of harmful social norms transformation for promoting gender equality and empowerment of marginalized communities.
International Women’s Day – Dora Kaiza is FCA Uganda’s first female driver
On International Women’s Day 2024, we focus on investing in women. The following is a guest contribution from Dora Kaiza, one of FCA’s professional drivers in Uganda and the first woman to hold that position.
‘My name is Dora Kaiza. I am 34 years old and I am so proud to be a professional driver. For many years this was regarded as a male-dominated profession. My life before Finn Church Aid was a journey full of challenges. As a single mother raising three boys, I faced the task of providing for my family and driving is all I depended on. Even with my passion for driving and years of experience, the opportunities seemed scarce, and I would find myself being undervalued.
‘A lady can’t drive’
At the transport company where I worked, many said, “a lady can’t drive,” but I refused to let their insecurities lower my potential.
In 2022, after the Covid lockdown, I received a dream come true opportunity to join Finn Church Aid as a driver. It was a chance to prove myself in a new environment, a chance to support my family and also to challenge those saying that women can never make it doing male jobs. I will never forget the feelings on my first day, driving alongside the male drivers. But with each mile, my confidence grew, and I realized that I belonged here. I knew this was more than just a job—it was a calling.
Dora makes some engine checks before her long drive.
Every kilometre is a sign of my determination
The road ahead had its challenges. As the first female driver in FCA’s history in Uganda, I faced resistance from some road users. Yet, with support from FCA colleagues and my determination to succeed, I refused to let people hold me back. Every kilometre driven was a sign of my determination to break down barriers.
FCA’s trust in me was both humbling and empowering. By entrusting me with their vehicle and placing their faith in my abilities, they not only gave me a job but also proved my worth as a woman in a male-dominated profession. Each journey taken was a sign that gender should never be a barrier to an opportunity.
Over the years, I have faced challenges—from driving on bad roads to confronting male bullies who try to push me off the road. Yet, with each challenge, I came out stronger and more determined to prove that women belong behind the wheel and at the forefront of change.
Driving forward
When I reflect on my journey with Finn Church Aid, I feel so proud. They have provided me with a platform to express my passion while supporting my family. FCA has also empowered me to be a symbol for change in my community.
As I continue to drive forward, I am reminded of the many women who have not yet to reached their full potential. My hope is that my story will inspire other women to dream big, ignore stereotypes, and take on every opportunity that comes their way. Together, we can promote gender equality and create a brighter future for all.’
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Invest in women: accelerate progress.
At FCA gender inclusion and equality are not just ideals, they are realities worth fighting for. We work every day alongside our sister organisation, Women’s Bank towards a world where women have the financial independence and power to make their own choices.
Women-led businesses are bringing change in Myanmar
In Myamar’s Kayin State, FCA and Women’s Bank have supported women in 20 villages to establish and develop businesses to generate extra income.
NESTLED IN the Kayah-Karen Mountains range are the Kayin Highlands. The area has been plagued by armed conflicts between the Myanmar Military and the Karen National Union, People’s Defence Forces, resulting in very limited development opportunities. The region has been classified as a ‘black zone’ by successive governments.
Women in the area were often confined to the traditional living style of their village, struggling to make ends meet with small daily incomes. With some working as day laborers and others focusing on their existing farm businesses, financial stability proved hard to pin down. Although they could afford daily meals, they needed money to save up.
As the economic crisis worsened, the prices of food and gasoline skyrocketed and their income and investments also fluctuated dramatically. Additionally, products they farmed could not be exported in large quantities.
As part of the project, the FCA provided financial assistance to 80 women to help them establish and develop income-generating activities.
Women-led businesses are bringing change
A project aimed at empowering women in the region co-implemented by FCA and led by the Kaw Lah Foundation, brought about real change.
As part of the project, FCA provided financial assistance to 80 women, granting each of them 500,000 Myanmar Kyat (188 Euro) to help them establish and develop income-generating activities. Women participated either as members of the Women Empowerment Committee or as part of a Women-Led Cooperative.
Women participate either as members of the Women Empowerment Committee or as part of the Women-Led Cooperative.
Starting and running businesses in politically sensitive and fragile areas can be challenging, so FCA provided organised comprehensive business entrepreneurship training sessions to cover various aspects of business management, including financial planning and management, branding, and marketing strategies (including online platforms).
After the business was established, we continue to provide coaching and support. The project team regularly visit the businesswomen, offering guidance and addressing concerns.
The range of businesses established by these women included grocery stores, food stalls, seasonal crop trading, bakeries, motorbike workshops, and pharmacies. Within a year, 35 out of the 80 women (43%) began earning profits from their activities. 11 of them earned profits exceeding 10 million Myanmar Kyat (376 Euro) and one woman even generated over 50 million Myanmar Kyat (1880 Euro).
From entrepreneuship to financial stability
Life dealt 59-year-old Naw Aye Thar a devastating blow with the untimely death of her husband in 1997, leaving her as the sole provider for her three sons. To her support her children, she took on various odd jobs, earning a modest income of 3,000 Myanmar kyats per day.
But life changed for the better when she assumed the role of secretary for the Women Empowerment Committee in her village. It was during this time that FCA launched its project, aiming to promote women’s entrepreneurship and business ventures in Maing Lun. Recognising her potential, she was selected as one of the women entrepreneurs and provided with a business capital of 500,000 kyats.
The project team regularly visit the businesswomen, offering guidance and addressing concerns.
With the newfound capital, she started a grocery store. Following her project proposal, she sourced products from wholesalers and began selling them retail. This venture proved to be a sustainable source of income to meet her family’s needs.
“Previously, I was very tired because I was buying goods by walking to Leik Tho Town with a bamboo-made backpack, and I couldn’t a motorcycle due to the high rental cost. My business became more convenient when I owned a motorcycle with my savings. In this time of political instability, the economic crisis worsened, food and gasoline prices skyrocketed, but mercifully I don’t have to worry about the daily meal anymore.”
Journey to business success
Naw Rutha, a 46-year-old widow from Kyaung Kone Lan Khwel village. She grew up selling groceries with her mother in a small food and local product trading business. However, despite having a wealth of experience in the industry, Naw Rutha struggled with keeping records of her business operations which made it impossible to ascertain the profit and loss of her enterprise accurately.
In June 2022, she successfully obtained a grant of 500,000 Myanmar Kyats, which she used to expand and repair her shop. The support from the project not only helped her become more familiar with business practices but also increased her profits.
“Thanks to the project, I received training on business market system development and basic financial management. The project also recognised my hard work and provided additional support funds (1,000,000 kyats) for my business.”
Naw Rutha expanded her store and started producing and selling local products under the brand name “Rutha.”
With this financial boost, she purchased refrigerators to store the goods and added value to local crops such as coffee, turmeric, honey, and tea. She further expanded her store and started producing and selling local products under the brand name “Rutha.”
The increased income not only benefited her family but also allowed her to financially support her parents and siblings.
“I can now support my son’s education without worrying about school fees. I can also afford donations for religious purposes and cover medical expenses for the sick. Moreover, I have been able to save money every month and even treated myself to a gold necklace.”
Displacement didn’t stop this businesswoman
40-year-old Naw Blu Paw from Bo Te Kone Village started as a casual worker in 2005, averaging around 2 weeks of work per month. In 2008, she began selling Burmese traditional snacks door-to-door in her village.
When the project was introduced in her village, Naw Blu Paw participated in business performance training courses and attended monthly meetings. Her dedication paid off when she was chosen as the small to medium enterprise (SME) woman representative of the village on June 20, 2022.
Unfortunately, she and her husband were displaced due to the conflict in the area. But the situation couldn’t discourage her and she began selling kitchen products as a mobile seller to other villagers who had also fled to the jungle. Despite the difficulties, she traveled to Taungoo – around 200 kilometres from Yangon – to purchase groceries and continued her work.
Naw Blu Paw’s dedication paid off when she was chosen as the small to medium enterprise (SME) woman representative of the village on June 20, 2022.
With this determination, she was selected as a recipient of an additional 1,000,000 kyats from the project’s top-up grant for women. This capital injection allowed her to expand her current business and she ran the fish paste and dried fish businesses. She also learned how to maintain cash accounts and create monthly income and expenditure statements, skills she previously lacked.
The continuous operation of her business greatly aided her family while occasionally providing financial support to her daughter, who lives at the Thailand border, for school. Furthermore, she was able to send three of her children to school at a church-based institution, contributing to the welfare of the community.
“Through this business, I have gained a deeper understanding of my strengths and weaknesses which improved my business operations. Additionally, I seek guidance from others experienced in fish paste production to expand my business further. Despite the challenges of travel during these difficult times, I am grateful that my business continues to thrive, bringing greater happiness to my family by relieving concerns.”
Not feeling alone is crucial for survivors of gender-based violence
Finn Church Aid (FCA) works against gender-based violence in the Central African Republic by connecting survivors to healthcare services and psychosocial counselling.
WHEN ZITA KOUALET started her work as FCA’s psychosocial counsellor in Baboua, the hardest part was getting survivors of gender-based violence to consider sharing what they had gone through.
Koualet and her colleagues provide the first response in cases of rape, sexual harassment, or domestic violence in Baboua, Central African Republic. The project has been running for three years with UN Refugee Agency UNHCR funding. After careful awareness-raising in the community, people know how to approach Koualet in cases of violence or abuse.
“We pay for any transport or medical needs and provide counselling that focuses on the mental well-being. We can also help people file cases when they have been wronged”, she says.
“After that, the survivors are offered counselling. The more they feel they are supported, the more comfortable they are opening up about their experience and feel how it helps them move forward.”
Koulaet and her team also record the cases from their area in UNHCR’s database. Based on the countrywide data, NGOs know the needs and can tailor their responses nationwide.
Early marriage a key issue that leads to violence
Koualet mentions that early marriage is one of the core issues that leads to violence against women. When women are married off young, they are forced to interrupt their education – if they were in school in the first place. If women do not receive an education, they often end up staying at home doing housework and taking care of children, making them dependent on their husbands.
If a girl and her family refuse a marriage proposal, they might face consequences. In many cases of sexual violence, the perpetrator is someone they know from before, Koualet explains.
Usually, women with their own income suffer less from gender-based violence, which is why education is critical to preventing cases.
“Early marriage greatly slows down the development of young girls here. We work hard to discourage this custom and promote the benefits of education instead”, Koualet says.
After careful awareness-raising in the community in Baboua in Central African Republic, people know how to approach Zita Koualet in cases of violence or abuse.
Several of Koualet’s clients in Baboua, near the border to Cameroon, are only teenagers. One of them is 14-year-old Sylvaine. She was raped on her way home from an early evening event in her village. The assailant was a man who had earlier proposed to marry her, but Sylvaine and her family had declined.
“I had refused to marry because I wanted to continue my studies. Not too much later, I met the man when I was on my way home in the dark, and he assaulted me”, she says.
Sylvaine was first afraid to speak about the rape with anyone, but when she started feeling sick, she decided to confide in her sister. Her sister persuaded Sylvaine to talk to her mother, who had heard about FCA through an awareness campaign. FCA’s staff immediately took her to the hospital.
The doctor who treated her injuries quickly told Sylvaine she was pregnant.
“Our first thought was that we wanted to press charges against the perpetrator, but we decided that it would be disadvantageous for my future, my studies and marriage potential”, Syvlaine says.
Counselling comforts and helps building a way forward
The mental health consequences of gender-based violence are often paralysing. Ana is a 30-year-old single mother who takes care of her five children alone after divorcing her husband a few years earlier. Ana used to run a successful business as a vendor at the weekly market near the town of Bouar.
One day, she was assaulted and robbed by members of an armed group. They beat Ana and took all her possessions. Forced down on the ground, the men accused her of collaborating with another armed group. After driving over her with their motorcycles, they left her lying on the road.
“I lost all the money I had for supporting my children. They are now out of school, and during the month after the assault, I have not been able to work”, she says.
A dignity kit distributed to women in Baboua, Central African Republic contains a mosquito net, torch, underwear and other necessities, including a whistle to raise alarm in case of an attack.
The people who found Ana referred her to FCA, who took her to treatment for her injuries and covered her hospital costs. Ana still feels pain in her ribs and back but is able to walk. While still fearing to visit the local market, Ana feels grateful for the psychosocial support she receives weekly.
“Thanks to that, I have been able to live, and the hospital helped me back on my feet”, she says.
Ana and Sylvaine say that the most important reason for their recovery is understanding that they are not alone. Sylvaine also says that the counselling has been comforting and helped her realise that what happened to her was not her fault. Her goal is now to go back to school and continue her education.
“Speaking with the counsellors has made me realise I also want to work with something that makes a difference. Caring for my child does not stop me. My siblings and mother will support me”, Sylvaine says.
The names of the survivors of gender-based violence have been changed due to the sensitive nature of their stories.
The Women of Raqqa – Fighting for Their Right to Study
Aisha held secret classes. Amina studied in them. Nour is prepared to wait for hours at checkup points to finish tests. The women of Raqqa are doing whatever they can to fight for a better future.
THE CITY OF RAQQA in Northern Syria, along with its surrounding regions, were once known as a modernized region, receiving a flood of industrial investments, with an orientation towards the future. The adults had a good education; the children studied in schools to obtain one.
In 2013, the terrorist organization ISIS took over and placed heavy limits the way the people of Raqqa, particularly the women and girls, moved and dressed. The terrorists seized farmers’ crops and merchants’ goods, thus also seizing locals’ way of life.
However, the greatest enemy the terrorists faced was education. From the get-go the terrorist organization closed the schools of the areas, turning them into bases, prisons, and torture centers. Boys were recruited to fight, teachers were made to apologize for teaching ; but the girls had the worst fate, as ISIS organized training sessions on how to offer their bodies to terrorists.
Currently, Finn Church Aid is operating in the countryside of Raqqa, which the terrorists left in 2017. The region has over a hundred schools damaged in battle with tens of thousands of students. Many have had their school life interrupted for as long as ten years. The various parties to the conflict still patrol the area, and going through checkpoints makes life hard for schoolchildren.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, however. Locals, including girls and women, have been able to return to school. This story features a trio of survivors from Raqqa.
Aisha held secret school classes as a teacher during ISIS, participated in FCA training during her escape, and returned to her home region to become a principal.
“Previously, the women of Raqqa were active members of society, involved in politics. We lived our own lives and, like me, could move alone to a university town for studies.
The terrorists know about the power of teachers, and they certainly tried to win the teachers over to help them get young girls to molest. Thinking about what they did to us still gets me raving mad.
There are more than one hundred schools in the rural area in which FCA operates. Aisha is one of the female head teachers. About 75 per cent of the teachers are women.
At the start of ISIS’s reign of terror, we tried to continue our work, until we understood that they were sending their members to our classes to report to their leaders what we were teaching. As a countermeasure we locked the school doors, but they broke the locks and interrupted our studies. Next, they took the study materials.
Halfway through 2014, the only thing I could do was continue instructing my students at my home. We had several female teachers, and we organized a school secretly at my house for four months. We organized teaching in shifts, with approximately a hundred children participating. When our work was revealed, the terrorists arrested me and interrogated me.
I fooled them and said that I only instructed the children Arabic and the Quran instead of English, French and natural sciences. They were enthusiastic about this, asked me to continue and promised they would deliver suitable study materials. After interrogation I packed my bags and escaped from the city to the countryside – they never caught me. I left
the Raqqa area in 2015, escaping at the last moment. After the night I left, ISIS announced that women under 50 were under curfew and locked up in their houses.
I spent the next years in the Hama countryside, a scene of many battles. During the worst ones I could not teach at all. Then, I found out FCA had started operating in my area, organizing school repairs and activities for the students. I participated in teacher training, a particularly important experience for me, learning about offering psychosocial support and new study methods, like giving the students group work. My students’ critical thinking skills improved, allowing them to focus on their studies better.
Before the war, my students made plans for their future, but during the reign of ISIS, the only thing the kids worried about was their own safety. Girls married young and had children, leaving us a huge burden as education experts. We are still trying to change the thought patterns of the girls who lived during the ISIS era to understand that getting an education is worth it. ISIS taught these girls to get married and start a family – we are teaching them to go to university and build a new future.
After three years, I returned to the Raqqa countryside to become the principal of this school. It is a personal decision not dwell too much on the war years. Regarding the past, I only wish to remember the times before 2010 and after 2023. The rest of it is not worthy of my attention.”
Nour, 18, travels from the Kurdish zone through 20 checkpoints to a school supported by Finn Church Aid to participate in her final exams.
“My first memory of ISIS? When they prevented us girls from going to school and forced us to cover our faces. I was in the second grade. We lived here, under the rule of ISIS, for two years, until my dad found a smuggler who took us to Hama. In there I continued my schooling in the second grade. It was weird, as I was older than other students, and taller by a head’s length.
18-year-old Nour (in the middle) had to pass through 20 checkpoints to make it to final examinations. She and her sister take turns to go to school every other year.
We returned to the Raqqa area in 2021. Me and my sister are of different ages, but due to breaks in my education we are both going to the ninth grade. I should really be three years further in my studies. My father does not have enough money to send us both to school, meaning we have taken turns to go through the school. First, my sister continued her education, now it is my time, and my sister has prepared me for the national exams.
I live in the Kurdish zone without a public school. I woke up early in the morning and travelled here to participate in my finals. Normally this trip takes me half an hour, but it can also take as many as six hours now. There are 20 checkpoints along the way, asking a lot of questions and inspecting personal IDs.
I spent this morning afraid I could not make it through the checkpoints in time. In that case, I could not have made it to the final exams and would have had to remain out of school for a year. All this trouble – I go through it just to get a Syrian final certificate from school.
I want to finish my education but also fear that my family’s financial situation will prevent it. I find the higher-grade tests challenging. I need a real teacher – just studying with my sister is not sufficient. Travelling between different regions is also expensive and takes its toll.
During the rule of ISIS, girls married at 13–15, and this became normalized. I am now 18 years old and already feel too old to be wanted. I want to continue my studies, and my father fully supports me. He does not want to marry too young.”
Amina, 14, went to a secret school held by her dad, but only learned to count and write years later. Now she is one of the best students at her school.
“I do not think I had a broken childhood. ISIS came when I was four. Those were bad, frightening times, times when we could not sleep at night or go out with my mom due to being female. When we needed something from the markets, my dad had to go out and get it.
When terrorists finally left the Raqqa area and I could start my schooling, I was 8. I could not write or count, but my father, who is a teacher, supported me. Even during the ISIS rule, my dad tried to teach me and my neighbors’ children in secret. ISIS found out and threatened my father over it. They also tried to force my dad to send them to one of their ”schools,” but my dad was very strictly against it.
I was eight years old when the terrorists left. I have worked hard to make up for the gaps in my education since then. Just this morning, I participated in the national test for the ninth graders despite being younger than the others. I am an excellent student – one who is always getting the best grades.
When terrorists finally left the Raqqa area and I could start my schooling, I was 8. I could not write or count, says 14-year-old Amina.
I will continue my studies, and I am ready to walk to the nearest girls’ high school even if it takes 45 minutes to get there. In the future, I want to train myself to be a pediatrician to help kids who have gone through war. And I want to remain in the vicinity of Raqqa – this is my home.”
Text: Ulriikka Myöhänen Photos: Antti Yrjönen Translation: Tatu Ahponen
Finn Church Aid is repairing damaged schools in Raqqa and supporting students and teachers with cash grants. Among those receiving grants are teachers and students travelling to school finishing exams from the Kurdish area. The work happens together with the Syria Humanitarian Fund, under the UN.
30 Somali women and girls are training in web and mobile development thanks to partnership between FCA and iRise innovation hub.
MAIDA MOHAMED AHMED is a bright and ambitious woman from Somalia who has always had a passion for finance and technology. She applied for a six month web and mobile development course at Somalia’s first innovation hub, iRise.
The course, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Finland, is designed to empower girls and young women in an underrepresented field. The six-month course utilises design thinking skills to unlock the girls’ potential, ultimately empowering them to pursue a career in tech and improve their employment opportunities.
Today Maida is working as a web developer and is proud to be paving the way for other young women like herself to succeed in the tech industry.
Maida is a student at a web development training course in Mogadishu, Somalia. FCA partners with iRise innovation hub thanks to MFA Finland funding.
This project is part of FCA’s thematic approach to connect learning with earning in their livelihood projects. The initiative is highly significant, particularly in Somalia, where women face numerous hurdles in accessing education and employment opportunities.
Somalia is well poised to develop its digital industries – it is the seventh cheapest place in the world for high-speed internet. By providing women with the skills and expertise to pursue a tech career, this project hopes to reduce the gender gap in the tech industry and improve the quality of living for Somali women.
Maida (L) and her fellow students at the iRise hub web development training course in Mogadishu, Somalia.
The first batch of 15 girls have already completed the programme, while the other 15 expect to finish their studies soon.
As the first batch of graduates enters the workforce with their newly acquired skills, we hope to see significant changes in the industry in the gender ratio in Somalia. This program empowers girls to take on more challenging roles, disrupt stereotypes and create a more gender-inclusive workforce.
Text: Fatima Abshir Photos courtesy of Osama Nur Hussien for iRise
Up to one million Kenyan girls miss days of school each month due to menstruation
What would you do if you had to replace your menstrual hygiene products with rags made from old clothes, or if you simply did not own anything that would stop others from noticing the bleeding or odors?
AKIMANA, 18,knows what life is like when menstruation interferes with going to school.
”It’s really stressful to go to school without menstrual hygiene products. I feel so bad, especially when I’m standing in front of the class, if I’ve stained my skirt by accident and my classmates laugh at me,” she says.
Sometimes Akimana skips school because she has no menstrual hygiene products and she feels ashamed to stand out. There are few teenage girls in the world who would not mind going to school while wearing clothes with period blood stains on them.
Akimana is happy that her schooling is supported by the menstrual pads distributed at school.
”Sometimes, when I have no menstrual hygiene products and my classmates find out, they laugh at me and call me dirty. It feels so bad that some girls don’t come to school anymore,” says Mikamsoni, 17.
The classmates’ laughter might seem cruel, but deep down, the problem is actually a lack of education. Roughly every other human being in the world menstruates at some point in their life. At the same time, the topic might be so taboo in the community that periods or the hygiene issues related to them are not talked about, even among mothers and daughters.
”Understanding the menstrual cycle is among the basics of reproductive health, and this information is necessary for both girls and boys. Being open helps combat assumptions such as that periods make girls dirty or weak, or that while menstruating you should refrain from everyday life or even isolate yourself from the rest of the community,” says advocacy expert Merja Färm from Finn Church Aid.
Mikamsoni (right) and her school friends think it is important that the school provides menstrual pads, because pads are expensive for girls living in refugee camps.
A WHOLE OTHER aspect of periods is the financial side. Disposable menstrual hygiene products may be so expensive that families living in extreme poverty – or about less than 2 euros per day – cannot afford them. In the case of reusable menstrual pads, the problem is that washing the pads is difficult without a proper water supply point.
”If there are no hygiene products available, girls and women use unsuitable and unhygienic rags that are uncomfortable, smelly, and leaky, and at worst may even cause infections,” says Färm.
In a worst-case scenario, girls and women might even resort to using grass, leaves from trees, or sand. Those in a particularly vulnerable position include girls like Latifa and Violeta who live in rural Kenya and in refugee camps.
Finn Church Aid’s fight for girls’ education opportunities includes promoting menstrual hygiene. In our countries of operation, we provide girls with hygiene packages that include menstrual hygiene products, soap, and underpants. Another key part of this work is education regarding good menstrual hygiene that we provide while distributing the hygiene packages. Schools play an important role in this work as well.
”We educate students, teachers, and even the students’ parents on how important it is to enable girls to go to school even during their period,” says Färm.
Being left outside education increases the risk of early marriage and pregnancy, as well as unreasonable amounts of housework. Girls in a particularly difficult position include those who have undergone female genital mutilation and those with a heavy period, Färm emphasises.
After receiving menstrual hygiene packages from her school through the Finn Church Aid project, 16-year-old Micheline from Kenya is happy that she no longer needs to cut up her old clothes to be used as menstrual pads.
”Getting menstrual hygiene products from school has really changed my life. Back when we didn’t get them from school, I had to stay at home during my period, because I was afraid of the shame of getting stains on my school uniform. Now I can go to school regularly, and I feel confident,” says Micheline.
Thanks to the menstrual pads distributed at school, Micheline can go to school without worry even during his period.
IN KENYA, FCA has distributed menstrual hygiene products to over 5,000 girls through the schools in the Kalobeyei refugee settlement.
In addition, Finn Church Aid has supported schools in its development cooperation projects and during crises by building toilets and water supply points in the school premises. A bathroom door with a lock helps secure privacy, but just building a toilet in the school premises creates security for girls in particular, since they no longer need to look for a place to be away from view. When there are enough water supply points, they can even be used to wash menstrual pads without others watching.
As previously mentioned, about half of the world’s population deals with having a period at some point in their life. It is important not to let something as normal as menstruation stand in the way of girls and women going to school, finding an occupation, earning their own livelihood, and reaching for their dreams.
”Menstruation awareness and hygiene are cost-effective ways to increase girls’ well-being and school enrolment rate, as well as women’s employment and participation in society. In order to rise from poverty, girls and women need to be included as well,” says Merja Färm.
Fly larvae help Nepalese women create innovative sustainable business
FCA and Womens’ Bank BUZZ project in Nepal uses larvae from the Black Soldier Fly as alternative animal feed due to their high protein and fat content, as opposed to traditional feeds. This reduces solid waste by efficiently converting organic waste into animal feeds and organic fertilizer within the cycle of circular economy.
IN THE small village of Bhardeu in Nepal’s Lalitpur district, a building with a corrugated tin roof is abuzz with activity. Women crowd round small plastic trays, which are writhing with small larvae. One woman gently and carefully lifts a handful of the larvae in gloved hands. She doesn’t seem fazed by the wriggling grubs – in fact, these unassuming worm-like animals represent an exciting innovation in the working lives of these women. They’re a chance to turn waste into value.
“It’s such a new concept in Nepal,” says BUZZ project coordinator Nishi Khatun. “In the beginning, the women who saw our prototype larvae farm were a bit doubtful and sometimes frightened. But since training, they’re really confident with handling the larvae and find the process more convenient and beneficial from the farming they’re currently doing.”
Women observe a demonstration of how black soldier fly larvae can be bred for animal feed in Nepal
With funding from our sister organisation, Women’s Bank, and in partnership with the Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs’ Associations of Nepal (FWEAN), the project aims to provide employment to seven women, who are part of a farming cooperative in the village. All of them face social and economic marginalisation, with limited access to resources, job opportunities and influence within their community
The premise is simple: Black Soldier Fly larvae are raised in a special production facility feeding on organic waste. They then are used as feed for farmed animals and fish. The frass (excretion of larvae/fly) is used as organic fertilizers.
“The organic waste from the household and farming land is reused again and again for the larvae,” says FCA Climate and Environment Sustainability Advisor, Aly Cabrera. “It’s a really good initiative because it reduces land competition between food for human and for animal consumption.”
A close-up of the larvae feeding on organic waste
FCA set up the production facility and provides ongoing training to the women in both the technical skills needed to raise the larvae and the business development skills that will enable them to connect with customers and larger industries. In time, they won’t just be able to maintain their farms, but also sell surplus larvae and frass to others.
That said, it’s a very new concept in Nepal and the benefits of using the larvae are not yet well understood by stakeholders in the agriculture, poultry and fisheries industries.
Other challenges include the delicate nature of the larvae themselves. The grubs are highly sensitive to temperature and humidity and getting the ambient conditions exactly right for them to thrive is crucial.
Despite this, the women in Bhardeu recently celebrated a milestone. The initial insects needed to establish a colony arrived from the western district of Chitwan and they were able to get to work after long months of training. The cooperative issued a statement in celebration:
“We are filled with hope that our dream of economic empowerment through engagement in the Black Soldier Fly business model will finally come true. We envision ourselves becoming successful entrepreneurs.”
The BUZZ project is thanks to a joint FCA and Women’s Bank initiative that develops circular economy projects to increase income opportunities & sustainable agricultural practices in order to improve community resilience.
