Hi! My name is Philippa Chapman and I will be travelling for the first time in Uganda this Friday, October 13th.

For more than two years I have been volunteering at Equal Aqua to help develop MHM programmes, which enhance the welfare of women and girls whilst tackling taboo. These programmes aim to upskill the community whilst reducing the likelihood of female absenteeism in schools. These projects are very close to my heart and support the movement towards gender equality in Uganda.

The donations collected from this crowdfunding campaign will benefit two schools located in Eastern Uganda: Ongino Secondary School and Mbale School for the Deaf in Uganda.

Any donations will be greatly appreciated!

The Challenges of MHM in Uganda:

In Eastern Uganda, over one-third of girls live without proper sanitary care. This can lead to a variety of issues such as ill-health, increased risk of infection, social isolation and school absenteeism.

Specifically, young girls in Uganda need to overcome the following challenges when it comes to menstrual hygiene:

-lack of adequate guidance and awareness about menstruation. Thereby girls experience their first menstrual blood flow with shame, fear and insufficient understanding of how to manage their menstruation with confidence and dignity.

- Stigma and taboo in schools

- Lack of money to purchase sanitary pads which are a bit costly, especially for most families in the rural settings

How Equal Aqua empowers women and girls on menstrual hygiene:

Our mission is to provide effective and equitable MHM training in schools and community groups, which enhances female education and health outcomes. We open up conversations that consider the impacts of MHM on young girls, particularly in terms of school participation, and empower young people to identify and drive solutions to improve conditions.

As of October 2023, nearly 350 girls joined our MHM curricula in schools, in which we teach how to make reusable sanitary pads, promoting sustainable MHM and local entrepreneurship.

Thanks to your support, our team in Uganda will be able to:

- Raise awareness, and break taboos and the stigma surrounding menstruation.

- Train the girls and women how to make reusable sanitary pads which are environmentally friendly, durable and affordable.

- Equip by distributing reusable sanitary kits which will contain knickers and reusable sanitary pads.

EQUAL AQUA UGANDA is an international NGO run by a group of volunteers based in Uganda, the UK and 9 other countries.

100% of money raised goes directly to our projects in Uganda.

All donations and support very welcome.