Aruna: Avidly Adventurous!

During the same ‘Wigs and Wings drive’ program visit at the Kenya National Hospital, I also interacted with male cancer patients. They did appreciate the visit and education around sanitary pads. Men experiencing prostate cancer raised a need concerning an innovation(s) that can sustain their health treatment and healing process. I am appealing to friends and well-wishers who can join me in this mission to come up with an innovation solution for the men. Reach out to me and let us continue creating avenues that boost healthy lives.    

Opportunities that see me join other like-minded groups in conducting impacting causes always delight me. October being a cancer awareness month, in collaboration with other partners through the, ‘wigs and Wings drive’, had me spend quality time with the female cancer patients at the Kenyatta National Hospital-shared the reusable pads which are plastic free. The pads will provide a healthy chemical-free living and also create a sustainable livelihood to the patients. October 27 th was a day well spent, I appreciate the organizers and other partners on board.

As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful tool with which you can change the world”. It was Mombasa volunteers turn to teach the 100 girls from Mbaraki and Bondeni primary School, who boarded the world’s largest floating book fair-Logos Hope Ship- skills on how to make reusable sanitary pads. This was a lifetime experience as the idea was just unique, Tailoring workshop inside the popular ship- together with Kenya Red cross society, they made it happen. I extend my gratitude to Kenya Ports Authority in collaboration with the Logos Hope for materializing this memorable session. The experience will forever float in these young girl’s minds as the coolest health transformational moment in their lives.

 In addition to these girls learning about safe menstrual hygiene, it is important to factor in sustainability methods of maintaining that management practice. These tailoring workshop for such hygiene menstruation helps the girls have sufficient products for use in our absence. Those days that we cannot be of reach from and they have to continue practicing, presence of this skills and pads will come in handy. This is why we equip them with the basic skills of hand stitching these pads without necessarily loosing grip of the quality to be maintained. I watched happily as the girls stitched their way out, securing a healthy future. Way to go girls.

Girls  deserve the right to basic needs. The right to gradually be the directors of our lives as we keep maturing in every phase of life. She deserves the right to education, and experiencing a fun teenage life. This is not the case for this 13-year-old, whose life path has been altered by another human being. Transactional sex in exchange for a sanitary pad. This girl, at 13 is now forced to deal with pregnancy load, a misfortune that was unforeseen. At this age as a minor, her lack of commodity, forcing her to make uninformed choice should not have happened. Yet this is a case of a perpetuator, taking advantage of her vulnerability. She is now forced to deal with the burden of being a teenage mother. This can turn into a lifetime of traumatizing experience. This is inhumane. Our minor girls are suffering in the hands of such. Stop this cruelty today! Support without asking for sex as a trade in.

This is an issue that I cannot emphasize enough. Any girl or woman menstruating has the right to education, access to clean water and sanitation facilities. The right to non-discrimination, non-stigmatization from both male or female human being. Menstruation in itself is a natural bodily function and should not be treated like an ailment. Girls deserve support, cooperation and empathy during these periods for their smooth stay -both at home, school and any other avenue they may be experiencing this. I extend my gratitude to everyone of you who has been part of these girl’s smooth process during their period.