Habtam Melese

In schools, girls suffer from different problems that relate to their gender. The major issue of school girls is how to properly manage menstruation. During their menstruation period girls, especially those from low income families do not have access to sanitary materials, water, and comfortable toilet and have no awareness of how to use sanitary pads. Some girls may fall ill during this time due to the lack of resources. But if the problem occurs in students with disability the problem will manifold. Habtam is a student with visual impairment at Melkakolie Primary School in Woldia town. She lives with her sister and is 20 years old. During her menstruation begun, she wasn’t aware of what precautions to take. During this time she said” boys used to laugh at me when they see the blood on my dress and on the desk then I stopped coming to school for long time.” She used to cut from her old dress to keep the blood from staining her dress.

Presently, ECDD has been providing sanitary materials like pairs of panties and sanitary pads on monthly basis and provides training on how to use it. Besides, the school has access to water and a toilet to use for sanitation during the menstruation period. As a result of the sanitary material support the girl able to manage her menstrual hygiene and develop self-esteem, increase her school performance, and regularly attend her education. She thanked the project for supporting girls like her with sanitation materials and attends her education with better confidence.