Happy Menstrual Hygiene Management Day! Bet you didn't know it was today! Apparently the UN declared May 28th to be MHM Day a year and a half ago. Who knew.
We woke up early and dressed in our Days for Girls bright orange and gathered with several other organizations that support menstruation at the Kampala YMCA. Then we marched to Parliament. Benji walked front and center holding one end of the banner that read, "Act on Menstruation without Hesitation!"behind him was the marching band and then a few hundred men, women, and children all gung ho about periods. It was great. Period.
Then Parliament welcomed us in to listen to/watch the speaker of the house sign a charter that will give funds for the construction of separate toilet facilities for boys and girls and faculty in schools. Also, proper water, soap, and toilet paper available to school girls. It also called for a end to the culture of silence and shame surrounding girls maturing.
Several schools were present and gave perfectly memorized speeches and poems about the struggles they face. My favorite went something like this (picture five teenage African girls, shorn heads, uniforms, bright smiles): "I am girl. Yes! I live, I struggle, I survive....menstruation is normal. Yes! Cherish the girl child." I love that.
Cherish.
There were also several school aged boys there, and one of them stood up and said "We men have a responsibility and obligation to protect the women of this nation." HELLO. Amen.
And maybe I stood up in front of all of them and demonstrated how to use the Days for Girls reusable kit. In American English. Benji filmed it but I am not posting it, so here's some pictures:
 |
| I love this guy more everyday |
 |
| Nothing manlier than a pink Period shirt. |
 |
| Olivia, Susan, Dorcus, Olivia |
 |
| Just call me a First Aider |
 |
| This is Immaculate and I love her |
 |
| The circles are period wheels |
 |
| Sharifa, Olivia, Immaculate, Susan, Olivia, Dorcus, Emma |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| Just for my mom |
No comments:
Post a Comment