Mother groups drilled in sewing sanitary pads

Mother groups from different schools in Salima have undergone a week-long training session in sanitary pad making courtesy of a United Nations Joint Programme on Girls Education (JPGE) project.

In an interview yesterday, the district’s  programme policy officer Linda Assani said the training sought to reduce dropout rate of girls due to menstruation.

She said: “The mother groups will distribute the pads to girls in schools.

“They will also sell the surplus pads to other people to earn money for their livelihoods.”

Assani said the mother groups will receive start-up materials to help them make reusable pads.

Selina Chikopa, a learner at Ngodzi Primary School, said she cannot afford disposable pads every month.

“So, I end up missing classes whenever I am doing my period,” she said.

The project, supported by Norwegian Government through United Nations Population Fund, United Nations International Children’s Fund and World Food Programme, is also running in Mangochi and Dedza districts.