The Office of the Auditor General last week donated sanitary pads to primary schools in Northern Uganda in a bid to promote Girl Child Education.
This follows reports that girls tend to drop out of school when they start experiencing menstruation.
Mr Ijalla Stephen, the principal Auditor, Northern Region said the donation is a corporate social responsibility.
“This is not government money at all. It is not part of our core activities. Our core activity is to audit government services and finance spending and report to parliament on how public offices are using funds. But this was just a donation from staff who found it important to maintain the girl child in school,” Ijalla said.
Ijalla added that in the Pilot targeted schools like Awach Primary school, Pakwelo Primary ,Lakwatomer-Primary, all in Gulu district and Amokoge P7 school in Lira district all girls in the age bracket for menstrual cycle age received 3 packets of the sanitary pads.
Ms Keto Nyapendi Kayemba, the assistant Auditor General said the office of the Auditor General is committed to seeing that the program is sustained because the corporate social responsibility task is there to stay and provide something little to Ugandans but with remarkable impact on the lives of the people at the grassroots.
“We are excited and will definitely work hard to see that the program is maintained because it is important to maintain the girl child in school”
She added that their campaign is to drum support form willing individuals and organizations that there is something worth in supporting girl child education in all possible areas.
Meanwhile, Ms Caroline Bonabano the legal principal officer in the office of the Auditor general demonstrated to the girls how to use the sanitary pads correctly.
“It is also important to make them know how to use it correctly and put some confidence in them,” She said.
Mr Obol David, the head teacher of Awach Primary school, in Awach Sub County, Gulu district whose school benefitted from the initiative last Wednesday confirmed that his schools lost three girls because of menstrual periods.
“These girls eloped and were no longer interested in studying,” Obol told the team from the office of the Auditor General.
He added that basing on the situation; it has forced the school to buy emergency sanitary pads on quarterly basis for the girls.
According to Ms Helen Anyige the senior woman teacher of Awach Primary school in Gulu said most parents in the rural areas can’t afford buying sanitary pads for their girls and many of them even don’t care about helping their children.
Meanwhile, Ms Asinde Sarah Oweka, the senior woman teacher of Lakwatomer primary in Gulu said that they had also developed a method of making locally affordable sanitary pads which are re-usable
“The pads are made from cotton sacks, cotton wool, and polythene paper. Each girl at the school is normally to make 3 for herself that is kept in the school for girls who begin seeing their menstrual periods.
Ms Ajok Agnes, the senior Woman teacher of Amokoge primary school in Lira district said her school normally involves both boys and girls in making the local pads which are re-usable.
Sanitary pads in the market cost Shs2500 to Shs3000 that most rural parents cant afford and end up encouraging the children to stay home hence exposing them to early marriage.
