SHE Rockstar of the Month: Health and Hygiene Officer Nadia Hitimana

Nadia (standing at right), SHE's Health and Hygiene officer at a recent training session. 
Photo Credit: Perttu Saralampi

Editor's Note: SHE's Rockstar of the month is also a new addition to the SHE team: our Health and Hygiene Officer Nadia Hitimana. Nadia is also one-half of our HAHA team (Health and Hygiene Advocacy) with our Advocacy and Policy Manager Jackie Mupenzi.

Nadia jumped in feet-first when she joined SHE by leading health and hygiene trainings across eight schools in Kigali. What's up next for Nadia? Leading health and hygiene trainings for the 50+ teachers that are part of our industrial-scale pilot!

Where are you from? 

I am a Rwandese but I was born in Burundi and I have been living in Kigali, Rwanda since August 1994. 

How are you involved with SHE? 

I work as the Health and Hygiene Officer. I am a newcomer, since I just started working here over a month ago, 11th March 2013. 

Why were you compelled to join SHE? 

Prior to joining SHE, I was working at ARC (American Refugee Committee) as a Health Education Coordinator. While working there a colleague and a friend of mine gave me good word about SHE that was working innovatively for better sanitary protection. The key factor that drew me to this team was my desire to participate in the sustainable solutions of addressing menstrual challenges among other health challenges that my young Rwandan sisters are facing in schools – which could hinder their future in one way or another. 

How did you end up working on a field of health education? 

I have been interested in health since I was young. In addition to this, I studied at the Kigali Health Institute, where I specialized in Environmental Health Sciences/Community Health Development and obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health. 

What have you learned since joining SHE? 

I have been warmly surprised by how my new team members bring up many ideas together and work tirelessly to achieve common goal of sustainable solutions towards addressing menstrual challenges. Since joining SHE, my team spirit has increased a lot! 

How do you like to relax on your spare time? 

I love to read and spend time with my friends. I especially like novels about people who brought change to the world. My favorite book of all time is The Bible. I also enjoy cooking, swimming and taking care of people in general, but particularly children. 

If you could pick one theme song for your life, what would it be? 

Une lettre d’amour by Aime Uwimana. He is a Rwandan gospel singer and I really love his songs among other gospel musicians. 

SHE Rockstar of the Month: Tash McCarroll

Editor's note: It's time to debut SHE's Rockstar of the Month. Team SHE is more than our staff; it includes amazing volunteers that share their expertise to help further SHE's mission. Photographer Tash McCarroll (http://www.tashmccarroll.com) joined our staff in Rwanda for a few weeks to capture our work in action during our industrial-scale pilot. Learn more about her time with SHE from the trailblazer herself:

"In my short time with SHE, I experienced the lengths they go to in order to educate, inform and reach as many women, men, boys and girls in Rwanda as possible. My first day with the SHE team we traveled for three and a half hours to the South West of Rwanda to a UN Refugee camp with 17,000 displaced families from North Kivu region in DRC.

The families and women are faced with serious issues of safe hygiene and sanitation with few toilets and lack of running water to many areas of the camp. The toilet facilities like many UN camps are simply constructed tarp longdrop toilets with limited privacy making menstrual health management very difficult).

In a small room 4 x 10m over 30 women tightly packed in with as many babies on backs, knees and 'boobs' to hear the SHE team deliver their important message. While the number was limited due to the size of the space available women had been gathered from different areas of the camp so they could go back and educate others with what they had learnt.

There were many more curious ears and eyes peering and listening from the door, along with several male leaders from the camp. The room was filled with anticipation, ears and eyes fixed ready to absorb any information. Julian delivered information DEBUNKing myths and beliefs around menstruation, educating on what the menstrual cycle was and why both men and women need to have information on this topic.

When Gerardine stepped up with her 'bag of goodies' to show and give demonstrations on use of various types of sanitary items a lot of excitement filled the room and many of the men who were outside came into the room for closer inspection. The room filled with  side conversations, laughter, and then many questions about the various items shown and how they really worked.

'Can I go out and visit someone with a tampon inserted?'
'How does it stay in once its inserted?' 
'Won't it fall out?', 
'Can a teenage girl and a married women use a tampon in the same way?' 
'Could a female condom then be used as a method for menstrual management?'

The SHE team members answered the questions with calm words, sincerity and clarity that the women were relieved and thankful for their time and knowledge gained.

The second time I went with the SHE team we visited the South East of Rwanda and started on a schools education project. This photo series takes you through some of the events on that day with the two schools and children that we met. The remainder of the week they were meeting 8 other schools groups in the district, leaving me confident of the education that so many children who will be better equipped to deal with their own or daughters' menstrual health/hygiene in the future."

SHE Advocacy and Policy Manager, Jackie Mupenzi, delivers information to a group of 250+ students from Kabilizi school, Ngoma District, Rwanda

SHE Junior Marketing Officer Geraldine shows students a sanitary pad and explains how to use it

SHE's newest team member, Health and Hygiene Officer Nadia Hitimana, shares a fun moment with the students when someone answers a question correctly

A student stands to ask one of many questions during the Menstrual Health & Hygiene session. The school children asked many great questions surrounding menstrual health.

A young male student comes up to show what he has learnt about the reusable cup and proudly shows his classmates 

Students gather with great interest as SHE's Jackie and Geraldine show students how a sanitary pad works by pouring some water on it to show absorption

Jackie gives her piece on why menstrual health and hygiene education is important for both boys and girls and DEBUNKs some of the beliefs students have around menstrual cycles.

Gerardine uses a resource in the classroom to answer a question from a student about the days of the menstrual cycle.

Girls and boys students sit focused for over 2 hours receiving information, asking & answering questions and interacting with the SHE Team