Throughout the month of September, I will be taking part in The Menstrual Cycle for Fields of Life to help tackle the barriers young girls in East Africa face on a daily basis to attend school. 

I have committed to cycling 280 miles during September for girls like Patience. 

In Uganda, 86% of girls are denied the opportunity to go to school because of their periods. 

“School wasn’t safe for young girls like me and it was very difficult to manage my period. There was no private space I could use to go to the toilet and clean myself. I often had to miss school due to the shame." Patience, Primary 7, Uganda

Instead Patience and her friends, would be forced to go and hide in the bush when they where menstruating which put them at great risk. Patience would also miss lessons when she was forced to go home during the day to wash herself as she didn’t have sanitary products.

Girls in Uganda miss 28 hours of school every month when they are menstruating. This makes it impossible to catch up when it comes to exams and girls end up failing their exams and being forced to drop out of school. This completely changes their future. 

Fields of Life through the I AM GIRL project aims to improve the personal hygiene and health of young girls through the provision of reliable water sources, improved washing facilities and appropriate sanitary protection.

"Thanks to I AM GIRL, I haven’t had to miss school due to my period. I am performing very well in my studies and most of all I am not ashamed.” Patience

I appreciate we are in difficult times but if you are able to support me in this challenge it would be amazing because every child deserves the right to go to school and to be safe.

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