I successfully conducted a reusable sanitary pad workshop for twenty five girls under the age of eighteen who are HIV positive and orphaned. Before the workshop began, every girl was given a short questionnaire to fill out. Once this was completed, the workshop was set in motion. I had blocked out a three hour session for the girls; one to two hours of discussion and then an hour for the actual making of the pads. Our discussion lasted almost the full three hours. I discussed female anatomy, body changes and safe sexual practices. I had drawn a diagram of the uterus, what happens when a girl starts menstruating, as well as some common questions and their answers (like how to alleviate cramping, why do your breasts hurt, can you become pregnant on your period, etc.) They had so many questions and which led into discussion on masturbation and how to tell if a women or man is a virgin; thereafter, a question and answer session took place. The discussion went on so long that I was not able to start the actual making of the pads. I was very proud of the girls and was able to dispel many myths and misunderstandings that they beheld on the subject.
The following day I met with them again to construct the pads. As there were few follow up questions from the previous day, we were able to start almost immediately. After the questions were answered, the construction of the pads went underway. Each girl was given four pieces of material (23cm by 18cm). This material is the same used to make school uniforms. Each girl also received two buttons and two pieces of towel (20cm by 6cm) to use as inserts. Thread, needles, and scissors were not needed as I held the workshop at a vocational school where sewing machines were available along with those two items. Once the pads were completed, I briefly discussed hygiene and how to clean the pads. Additionally, I explained to the girls that it costs roughly 3,800 USH for one girl to make two shells with four to six inserts which will provide them with coverage for one to one and a half years whereas if they were to buy disposable sanitary pads every month they would spend over 45,000 USH. They worked meticulously and the process was slow but it went really well!! I showed them how to use the scraps to make the wings longer and I explained to them how to clean them and how to wear it and change the inserts. They did an excellent job. It was immensely gratifying to see them excited about something and how thankful they were towards me for helping them and spending time with them. I encouraged them all to use them over the break and to tell their family and friends about them.
I conducted a post survey of the sanitary pad project and all of feedback was very positive! All of the young women felt that the size of the pad was okay, as well as the thickness of the inserts and the type of materials used. They all proclaimed that they were able to share the idea of the pads with their families and community members. Furthermore, they all reported that they were able to share the information they had learned in the workshop about their bodies and how the menstrual cycle works. After collecting the post-surveys and conducting an open discussion with them about the process, I instructed them to do a SWOT analysis and feasibility study in order to see if it was practical to start this as an IGA in their communities. Overall, it was very successful and I feel that I learned just as much from them as they did from me!
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