As a hybrid organisation that provides healthy, affordable and reusable cloth pads for women and girls of reproductive age, Girls’ Pride Gambia, in the recent past has been instrumental in empowering community youth educators in Central River Region- South and North Bank Region respectively.
Hence, the initiative incorporated the Funneh board game and the distribution of #MyPeriodKit to enhance understanding and address period poverty.
Titled “Empowering Girls in Rural Gambia on MHHM through Game-Based Learning and Distribution of My Period Kit,” the project was funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) through UNFPA-The Gambia and ChildFund Gambia.
Training sessions were held in 20 schools across five administrative regions: North Bank Region (NBR), Central River Region-North (CRR-N), Upper River Region (URR), Central River Region-South (CRR-S), and Lower River Region (LRR). The project has so far reached 1000 schoolgirls from low-income families and 20 schoolteachers.
The game-based learning sessions featured the Funneh board game, which was designed to foster engaging discussions on menstrual health and hygiene management.
Activities included an introduction to the game, interactive five-hour sessions on MHHM in each school, and the distribution of #MyPeriodKits. The dignity kits contained essential hygiene products such as reusable sanitary pads, underwear, towels, laundry soap, shaving sticks, and perfumes. Each school received the Funneh board game to promote continuous peer-to-peer learning.
The program is aimed at achieving significant milestones by training teachers as long-term advocates for menstrual health, foster open discussions to break taboos and normalise conversations about menstruation, and address period poverty through the distribution of My Period Kits, enabling girls to manage their menstruation hygienically, in an environmentally friendly way and attend school without interruption.
Abdourahman Bah, a trainer described the sessions as productive, emphasising how game-based learning encouraged schoolgirls to discuss menstruation openly and seek information about their bodies.
However, he noted that some participants were still shy, thus highlighting the importance of providing clear and accurate information about menstrual hygiene to ensure a healthy and productive life for all girls.
Participants, including both students and teacher coordinators, expressed gratitude for the training. They praised the initiative for creating safe spaces and boosting their confidence to discuss menstrual health openly.
Students also highlighted the importance of the dignity kits, stating that the reusable pads and other essentials would help them attend school regularly during their periods.
The training signifies the importance of addressing period poverty and promoting menstrual health education to empower girls and improve their overall well-being and educational outcomes.
