1) Washable Reusable Sanitary Towels. When COVID hit and the shops were closed all over Kenya, a former missionary to Kenya called me to discuss an article she read about a project in the slums of Nairobi. The study was
about how women and girls coped with lack of supply of sanitary towels.
After the discussion, she asked if LICHA would like to work in a project like this and donated $1,000 to start the project. The response was positive, and we agree to work with a primary school Nyahera location, Kisumu
county, Kenya. LICHA designed a reusable cloth sanitary towel and worked with a Kenyan coordinator to make them. The pad includes a waterproof shield, flannel absorbent material and cotton colorful liners which hides any stain.
The wings snap around the underwear. As in the rest of the world, the menstrual period is treated as a taboo. Kenya is no different. We introduced the project and identified a female teacher in the school to work with. After six months, she reported that there was a noticeable reduction of school absenteeism. The second year, she reported that she had noticed the performance of the girls had gone up, and that the girls were outperforming the boys.
Last year the girls LICHA started working with sat for the class 8 national examinations. One of the girls LICHA started working with scored a high mark to be admitted into a government school. This kind of performance had not happened at this school. This girl’s mother could not afford school fees, so a family offered a scholarship for her to join high school.
Another benefit we are hearing is about the parent’s sense of relief from the financial burden of providing disposable menstrual pads. By providing washable reusable sanitary towels, it is also preserving the environment.
2) Distribution of Bibles: During COVID the churches were closed. A LICHA board member independently offered to collect donations from donors who wanted to purchase Bibles for church members to have at home.
She asked LICHA if they could be distributed through its established accounting system to churches in the area where it has projects. Board members approved this as a project independently administered by someone who happens to be a board member. To date over 4,000 Bibles
have been distributed. The feedback has been very positive.