By Mary Wangare Kigo.
The year 2020 is a year that many of you erased from your mind and never want to look back and remember what transpired in the twelve months, mostly because of the challenges that ensued due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result of the challenges people become innovative and creative in ways aimed at keeping them above the waves of challenges that were being blown to them by the pandemic. The storms of 2020 included businesses collapse, economies lockdown, paralysis of institution of higher learning and lockdown of airspaces to remember but a few potholes of that year.
In Kenya 2020 is the year that saw complete shutdown institutions of learning, resulting to thousands of students with task to figure out how they were going to cope with all the time at their disposal.
Daniel Kamau, a final year student at the Kenya Medical Training College, pursuing pharmaceutical Technology was among thousands of students who found themselves with a whole year at their disposal after the government of Kenya shut down all schools following the confirmation of the first case of Covid-19 in the country.
Like his peers Kamau retreated to the village, where he had to figure out how to spend his time. It was during this time that he came up with a brilliant idea of participating in social change activities to benefit young people in his home constituency, Cherangany.
He collaborated with his peer Alpha Chore and together they started a campaign which they dubbed ‘End Period Shame’ through the initiative they aimed at distributing sanitary pads to teenage girls to ensure that they experience dignity during menstruation. To raise the funds, needed to carry out the campaign Kamau and chore mobilized funds through online campaigns where their friends and well-wishers contributed money towards the noble cause. They also approached local area leaders who also made their contributions in cash or handing over of the sanitary pads.
Former cherangany constituency Member of parliament Wesley Korir( Right) handing over sanitary pads to Daniel Kamau ( Center) and Alpha Chore (left)
The Duo’s area of focus was administrative wards within Cherangany constituency, specifically Makutano ward, where both of them were born and raised.
‘’ I come from a humble background and my community had contributed a great deal towards who I am today, I always wondered how I will repay the people who have contributed so much to my growth’’ he noted.
‘’ I have always desired to give back to development agendas that will keep girls in schools, and I realized giving girls sanitary pads to end period shame will keep girl them in school and also put a stop to instances where they look for money to buy pads and a result forced to engage in premarital sex ’’ he added.
‘’ women are the pillars of society and keeping girls in school to ensure they gain an education to secure the future will ensure that the foundation of a sound community is note compromised’’ said Kamau.
Milestone
Kamau says that since the beginning of the end period shame campaign they have reached out to more that 1,000 girls.
‘’ I am proud to note that through the campaign we have managed to distribute pads to more than a thousand girls. We have distributed pads through forums in churches and community gatherings’’ he explained.
In September 2019, a 14-year-old Kenyan girl killed herself after being shamed by her teacher for having her period. Her death prompted advocates to speak out against period-shaming and work to reduce stigma.
Despite the efforts being put forward by Kamau and other advocates towards ending period shame more still needs to be done to ensure affordability and accessibility of sanitary pads to give dignity to girls during menstruation.
Happy beneficiaries celebrating during an event organized in Makutano ward.
Birth of a CBO
The more Kamau and Chore continued to engage in community development they realized the need to have a solid umbrella that they will use to implement future development initiatives hence the birth of a community-based organization-Draw Smile Kenya.
‘’ we do not intend to stop with End period shame but will carry out needs assessments in our community to see areas that we can still contribute towards. We also saw the need to have a recognized CBO where that will engage in the activities’’ he added.
‘’ Through the organization we intend to mobilize a group of youths who will start looking at their communities with keen eyes so as to see areas of development that they can contribute towards in small but tangible ways’’ he elaborated.
Though Draw smile Kenya Kamau and chore have engaged in motivational speaking to high school students to encourage them through their own experience to pursue education relentlessly and to also caution them about vices like alcoholism and drug abuse which can derail them from concentrating in education. They also mobilize for donations from well wishers and visit children homes
Advice
Kamau calls on youths to give back to the community they live in because the future is now ‘’ youths should come out engage the society and make it a better place’’ he said.
kigomary 