Now I Don’t Miss School Anymore!

At just 14, Achieng from Homa Bay used to dread her monthly period. With no access to sanitary pads and no one to talk to about the changes in her body, she would often miss school—sometimes for days. “I felt ashamed, and I didn’t understand what was happening to me,” she recalls.

That changed when IHOPE Foundation came to her school with the Pad-A-Girl Project. Through engaging workshops, Achieng learned about menstrual hygiene, pain management, and her reproductive health rights. She received a hygiene kit with reusable pads and was connected to a toll-free hotline for questions she couldn’t ask in class.

Her school also installed a clean, private washroom—thanks to IHOPE’s advocacy efforts. “Now, I feel confident. I don’t hide anymore. And I haven’t missed a single day this term,” she beams.

Achieng is one of over 4,500 girls empowered through IHOPE Foundation’s holistic approach—linking menstrual health, SRHR education, and dignity. With supportive boys, informed teachers, and safer schools, girls like Achieng are reclaiming their education and future.

Because when a girl is empowered, a community rises.