Malawi Project 2023 (in partnership with TREY)
About the Malawi Project
In September 2023, a project was completed in partnership with TREY (Trauma Recovery for Exploited Youth). This project was initiated to help keep young girls in school in the region of Ekwende, Malawi.
In 2018 we completed a learning tour in this area through the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. While there, we visited a local school, where classrooms had up to 70 children in each class. One of the things that struck us was that there were more boys then girls in the grade six and up, so when we asked why, the answer stuck with us. Young girls typically skip four to five days a month when they menstruate because they do not have appropriate products. Eventually girls fall behind and the statistics will show they do not finish high school on the same percentage as boys. This has led to a loss in the education of females in rural Malawi. This is a loss to the individual, but also for the country as a whole.
This project was also in partnership with the Ruby Cup company, who supplied the cups to us at a significant discount. They have been working in many countries to alleviate similar issues faced by women in underpriviledged areas. TREY also notes that women who are persecuted or marginalized are also at higher risk of being trafficked.
"It has been great working with Esther and her team at SFHC, Ekwende. It has been a great two days of working together. We have had four sessions, two each for the two days I have been here. We have had learners and students from both primary and secondary schools. So be assured that all the 200 menstrual cups are with the girls and we should be looking forward to their feedback. We have had a great interaction with the girls plus sharing experiences with each other and what have you, and guess what, we made a pledge. All the groups pledged "I will break the silence on menstruation, I will not feel shy , I will take pride and I will spread the word to everyone outside and inside my home". - Lucy, Ruby Cup trainer in Malawi
Thank you to TREY and the Ruby Cup Company for partnering with us in this initiative.
