Joy for Bumula girls as Mp donates 50,000 menstrual cups

Some of the girls in song and dance during an Education Day event presided over by Area MP Jack Wamboka. [Juliet Omelo, Standard]

Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka has donated 50,000 menstrual cups to school girls in his constituency in an effort to curb menstrual poverty.

Wamboka said menstrual poverty is one of the key contributors to the hiked number of teenage pregnancy within the constituency.

The re-usable cups are made of medicated silicon rubber and can last for years if well cared for, hence reducing the monthly cost of buying pads.

Speaking during an education day event, Wamboka confirmed that his administration is ready to partner with other stakeholders in the education sector to ensure that the girl child is provided for and kept in school.

According to the MP, this cups are the appropriate new technology that will keep girls in school throughout the school calendar and reduce period shame.

"Many girls cannot afford sanitary pads to help them control their periods. During this time most of them mess themselves leading to shaming by their peers, they eventually resort to staying at home. I believe this cups are the perfect new technology for women and girls, particularly those who cannot afford sanitary towels every month, "he said.

Mercy Nabiswa, one among the many beneficiaries said that the cups will go a long way to cushion them from staying out of school.

She stays with her father and siblings after her mother's passing and says it is difficult to ask her dad for sanitary pads every month.

"I have to ask my dad for sanitary pads, at times I feel embarrassed since this makes him know that I am on my menses. Sometimes I am forced to find other ways of managing my flow, "she noted.

According to recent data, Bungoma county has been ranked number three in teenage pregnancy and gender based violence.

"It is a shame that Bumula and Mt Elgon are leading in early teenage pregnancies, it is time we as leaders stood up and condemn men who prey on young children, "he said.

The MP has also gone an extra mile in ensuring that no child is absent from school due to lack of food in his region by establishing a school feeding program where learners are provided with lunch in schools.

"Children drop out of school due to lack of food at home to sustain them, I saw it fit to prioritize education in my constituency by providing them with everyday lunch through the Wamboka foundation, "he affirmed.