Menstrual hygiene in rural schools in Tanzania

Background

In rural areas of Tanzania, myths, taboos, and shame shape how people deal with menstruation and make it hard for girls to start puberty in a healthy and self-determined way. Many schoolgirls have only fragmentary or incorrect knowledge about physical changes and menstrual hygiene and do not receive sufficient support either at home or at school. At the same time, there is a lack of suitable hygiene products and school infrastructure that would enable girls to deal with their periods discreetly and hygienically. The result is monthly absences, withdrawal from class, and limited educational and future opportunities for thousands of school-age girls.

These challenges are particularly evident in rural schools in the Ifakara region, where poverty, long journeys to school, and a lack of sanitary facilities further exacerbate the situation. Where menstruation is associated with superstition – such as the belief that plants wilt when a girl touches them during her period – a climate of stigmatization and silence arises. In this environment, girls often find it difficult to ask questions, seek help, and talk openly about their needs.

To address these challenges, an integrated approach is needed that imparts knowledge, strengthens access to menstrual hygiene, and actively involves the girls’ social environment. This is exactly where the project comes in: through education, strengthening teachers and WASH structures in schools, and raising awareness in communities, it helps to break the taboo and enable girls to attend school continuously.

Project location

The project is being implemented in the districts of Malinyi, Kilombero, and Ulanga (Kilombero Valley) in the Morogoro region. The focus is on the Kilombero district.

Project objective

The project enables young girls in rural schools in the Ifakara region to deal with their menstruation in a hygienic, self-confident, and self-determined manner.
To this end, it imparts basic knowledge about menstruation and hygiene, provides reusable menstrual products, and involves teachers and the social environment – parents, young people, and community representatives – in order to break the taboo surrounding the topic and promote regular school attendance.

Project activities

The following activities are planned to achieve the project goal:
· Conducting MHM training at 30 rural schools in the Ifakara region to teach female students about menstruation, personal hygiene, and the use of reusable menstrual products.
· Establishing and supporting WASH and MHM clubs at these schools to serve as forums for exchange, peer-to-peer support, and the long-term anchoring of MHM topics.
· Training teachers and providing teaching and training materials so that MHM content can be permanently integrated into lessons and everyday school life.
· Organizing community events and group discussions in the vicinity of the project schools with parents, young people, and community representatives to dispel myths and taboos and create a supportive environment for menstruating girls.
· Developing and using information and educational materials (e.g., manuals, flyers, booklets, posters, demonstration materials, and T-shirts with MHM messages) that convey key information about menstrual hygiene.
· Conducting a final impact assessment to systematically record knowledge gains, changes in school attendance, and feedback from participants.

Project beneficiaries

Through MHM measures at around 30 rural schools in the Ifakara region, a total of approximately 13,695 people benefit directly and indirectly from the project. These include primarily female students who participate in the training and activities of the school WASH and MHM clubs, as well as teachers, parents, young people, and community representatives who are involved in workshops and events.

Local partner organization

MSABI is an established organization implementing projects in the areas of water access, sanitation, and hygiene in rural areas of Tanzania and has been working to improve the health and well-being of the rural population since 2009. The organization is registered as a non-governmental organization and has already carried out numerous projects in the field of MHM (menstrual hygiene management), developing training materials and long-term concepts. All measures are tailored to local conditions and are designed and implemented in close cooperation with partners and project beneficiaries.