The Oky mobile app that was launched last year in 2023 is being supported by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and LVCT as one of the apps that can help young girls and women manage their menstrual health and hygiene, track their periods and learn facts about menstruation.
According to UNICEF, many girls in Kenya have no access to evidence-based and adolescent-friendly information on menstrual health and hygiene yet this is still a highly stigmatised topic.
Many girls reported that this led to anxiety, lack of attendance in school and hazardous use and maintenance of menstrual products.
For instance, some girls would use tissue paper, pieces of old clothes or torn books during their periods which would lead to embarrassment especially if one of those used materials happened to fall or cause staining.
It was as a result of this that UNICEF, with LVCT Health, the Ministry of Health and Education customised the global Oky app to suit the Kenyan landscape and translated it into Swahili.
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The app has a period tracker and calendar, a comprehensive encyclopedia, quizzes, myth busters and fun-gamified graphics such as person avatars.
UNICEF believes that the app will provide accurate and accessible information and knowledge about menstrual health and hygiene to adolescent girls in a fun and engaging way, and improve menstrual health and hygiene in Kenya.
It will also empower girls by providing them with tools to track their periods, helping them feel more confident and in control of their bodies.
Some girls in Mlolongo Primary School expressed their need to track their periods to be well prepared when they begin menstruating.