Education Builds Pamala’s Confidence to Shine, Kenya

Pamela is from a nomadic family based in Samburu County that depends on livestock and farming for their livelihood. Because of financial limitations, buying sanitary towels is never a priority for her family. Pamela often used to miss school during her menstruation and instead attended market days or looked after the livestock. She also had self-esteem issues that led to her poor performance in school. “One boy saw the blood stains on my dress and laughed loudly, drawing attention from my classmates. They teased me and called me ‘dirty.’ My menstrual blood had leaked through the piece of blanket I had tied to my underwear. When I saw my friends laughing at me, I was embarrassed. It was my teacher Naomi who came to my rescue.”

In 2018, Pamela joined the Girls’ Advancement Program school-based club at Kitabor Primary school and received a year’s supply of sanitary towels and panties. She learned about reproductive health and hygiene, financial literacy, HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, and children’s rights. She now feels confident and her academic performance has improved. She graduated in 2019 from class eight, and is enrolled in Form 1. She wants to become Member of Parliament for Samburu West when she completes her education.