Ms. Rita Marque Mbatha, Founding Direcotr of WCCF, writes:

“If men had period pains or gave birth the issue of stigma and period poverty would be rare if non-existent...

Why are condoms free and sanitary priced out of reach for the girls and women? Why the discrimination?
The disparity is fueling the need for the girls feeling compelled to have sexual relations in private or face the humiliation of staining school uniforms after failure to access sanitary pads. It is acutely painful that girls are forced to engage in sexual relations solely to access sanitary pads..."
Read the whole report about the 2023 WP activties.

Photos of several schools:

Mrs Edah Chimya, Coordinator of ZAW writes:

"...Through direct engagement with educational institutions like Chibwe Day and Secondary School, ZAW exemplified its dedication to not only advocating for women's rights but actively fostering empowerment and education within communities.The visit to the school showcased the impactful strides made by ZAW in partnership with the IAW, fostering positive change and creating a more equitable and empowered society. The stories shared, lessons learned, and connections forged during this visit undoubtedly contributed to the ongoing journey of empowering womanhood in Zambia and beyond..."
Read full report here.

The RENATA team writes about their objecvtives:

"General objective is to raise awareness among young girls in Kongola Djolao and Lougéo Doubaï about menstrual health and hygiene and to ensure their well-being.

Specific objectives:

· Equip young people with knowledge about menstrual 
  hygiene and eradicate prejudices surrounding this issue,

· Provide schoolgirls with single-use sanitary pads,

· Demonstrate to the schoolgirls the use of washable
  sanitary pads in their localities..."  read whole report.

The RENATA team writes:

"Menstrual hygiene is an integral part of a young girl's life and has an impact on her education, which is one of the aspects most often to consider when the subject is raised. However, many young girls don't have access to the right information during their period because the subject is still taboo: their parents are ignorant and, as often having low incomes, cannot offer their daughters single-use sanitary pads...

Best practices:

Boys are committed to providing positive support for girls during menstruation!.."    Read whole report.
Gallery of photos taken at Bikok and Nyomo Secondary School:

Ms. Anuarite Siirewabo, Coordinator of SOFEDEC writes:

"...We chose this school firstly because it is located between the town and the territory, as most of the population in this area had a poor understanding of menstruation. The other reason was that this school is attended by displaced children who live in camps for displaced people in precarious conditions. They have difficulty managing their periods...
After this awareness-raising exercise, the pupils understood and became interested in the subject..."
Read whole report

Rebecca Juga, president of BAWUFAG, writes:

"...The transition from the war-torn region of Bali to our current location in Yaoundé to execute the Water and Pads project has been a challenging journey. This report describes the activities that took place on October 11th, 2023, which coincided with the International Day of the Girl Child. This date allowed us not only to educate students on menstruation and hygiene but also to emphasize the importance of recognizing and empowering girls..." read whole report

Goma Bastola, president of RUWON writes:
"...RUWON also included the boys in the project thinking that the boys will get aware of the girls and women problems, and this might be helpful to make the change. The boys of the higher grade (8-10) also received the booklets, because we thought that we could raise the awareness among the boys and the girls. It could also be a helpful information for girls and women living together in the homes of boys...During the workshop, I have talked with the school management committee chair, head teacher/teachers and the students in the school. The school community is very happy and thankful for this wonderful project..."  read whole report

Ms. Dr. Vijayalekschmy KG, Director of WHI  and Sandepani School writes:

"...We underscore the significance of education, sustainable products, and community involvement in ensuring that girls and women can manage their menstruation hygienically and confidently...We call to action, encouraging stakeholders, policymakers, NGOs, and communities to collaborate in implementing similar projects that prioritize menstrual hygiene education, sustainable products, and access to clean water for all girls and women..."  Read full report

Ms. Rita Marque Mbatha writes:

"...Sexual and reproduce health and rights (SRHR) is an essential human right and part of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Most girls lack information sexual health and information. Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is part of the overall efforts within SRHR. In the rural areas some girls are struggling with misinformation. The conclusion reached at the conference is to improve education and training in the affected areas.
Positive results are expected ..." Read full report.

Ms. Rita Marque Mbatha writes:

"By providing some basic learning about handwashing after the bathroom use Women’s Comfort Corner Foundation WCCF has got a great impact. In fact schoolgirls and teenagers living in rural areas, or residing in expanding agglomerations and townships are the most affected. Reaching out the to the rural areas is hard, because the roads are bad, but progress is being made...We have generated a lot of interests and awareness within some communities. There is greater appreciation for menstrual hygiene management, which is linked to the water, sanitation hygiene program....Read full report

Ms Anne Yotchou, Coordinator writes:

The "Water and Pads" project is progressing well in Cameroon and is making a tangible contribution to the empowerment of girls, who are now taking control of their bodies, mastering the transformations they undergo and are taking more and more responsibility for their period of puberty with complete confidence, with a better management of their menstrual hygiene, a key experience....

This project is a real godsend for these girls who, wherever we work, are becoming the main actors in the management of their menstrual hygiene with complete assurance and confidence...

Read full report here

Ms Anuarite Siirewabo writes:

"The "Water and Pads" project is very close to our hearts.

I was able to introduce the project in Goma, and it was well received.

The "Water and Pads" project is a great asset for the pupils in Goma and for the girls on the streets in my province: Due to the conditions of war, they cannot find anything to protect themselves during menstruation. These girls face a lot of difficulties because of the armed conflicts..."  read more

Ms Thérèse AKAKPO Coordinator writes:

"...All of the girls admitted that their moms had never talked to them about this. Discussing sexuality is a taboo in most families.

The boys understood that girls are not responsible for the biological cycle, and that it is natural. They made a commitment not to make fun of girls who are seen with menstrual blood stains. Several questions were asked about the age of the first menstruation, discussion of the subject with parents etc...."  Read full report here

Ms Anne Yotchou, Coordinator writes:

"...It is important for me to add here that the water and pads project is a success story with concrete results and a measurable impact on girls' education...I am honoured to make this brief conclusion to this beautiful experience with CEFAP in this wonderful project as a volunteer. I got involved in this cause because I was a victim. I did all my primary education and the beginning of secondary education in a rural environment. I know the difficulties of schoolgirls in these rural areas during their menstrual period because I had these same problems...In conclusion, we will simply say thanks for this initiative in favour of schoolgirls while underlining that the project is very well received in the field and that the provision of washable and reusable sanitary towels to schoolgirls is very topical and we are keeping our fingers crossed that it will become a reality..." Read full report here

Goma Bastola, president of RUWON writes:
"...RUWON also included the boys in the project with the thinking that if the boys will be aware about the girls and women problems, it will be helpful to make the change. The boys of the higher grade (8-10) also received the booklets, because we thought that we could raise awareness among the boys all together with the girls. It could also be a helpful information for girls and women living in the homes of the boy-students. They would understand that menstruation is just a natural process, and we all should help the girls to be neat and clean during the periods...." read the whole report