SHE is at its vibrant
stage -- we are now up to our pilot phase, after traveling thousand of miles seeking
different banana fiber suppliers. We now have chosen two cooperatives to work with us, and the extractor Machines are ready to be handed over to them. Before the extraction begins, we will train the farmers how to
use the extractors.
Another part of our pilot phase is developing our brand strategy. I have been amazed to be a part of the focus group conducted by Connie. The focus groups were
really amazing, since I was the only”HE” among hundreds of “SHEs,” i.e., school girls across rural villages in Kayonza.
The girls also asked us a lot of questions and it was not so easy to
respond to each and every single question that they asked us. Normally in Rwandan culture, it is taboo to talk about reproductive health issues like
menstruation and puberty.
Historically, some women and girls
used to dig a short whole in the ground and spent like the entire day sitting
on top of it while menstruating. It's completely different now, but menstruation is still considered a taboo nowadays.
You may wonder how I could be comfortable with talking about menstruation, but for me it was not a big deal to talk about this issue with school girls since I studied biology and reproductive health. In addition. I am very experienced
in public speaking and so I know how to ask the right questions politely to break down these social and cultural barriers.
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| Can you spot the HE in SHE? Junior Business Development Analyst Sylvere with girls and women of SACCA. |
The most surprising
thing that one young women said during one of our focus groups at the
Street Ahead Children’s Center Association (SACCA) is that she described the menstruation
as a common disease for girls. I realized then that it's incredibly important for girls and women to have proper menstrual hygiene education. I also wish they should be taught how to manage their period
when it comes.
Boys also should learn more about menstrual health too! They need to understand it and
respect the difference between men and women, so that they do not stigmatize a
girls while they are menstruating. They have to be trained to about
that too. Many of these boys will become fathers of some girls too in the
future, so what impression will they give to their daughters if they make girls and women feel shameful or embarrassed about menstruation?
Overall, I
learned that girls need to be aware of what menstruation means and how it changes their bodies before it begins. I also learned that girls need additional support when it comes to access to clean, safe, and hygienic products and facilities so they can protect their health and their privacy.
- Sylvere
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