Nafisa Ayuka
Nafisa is from a one-parent family with 7 brothers and sisters, being the only one able to complete secondary school. She is studying Education at the University of Nairobi. Her project is to assist the underperforming youth in her village of Gaigedi Sub Location with their studies and, in addition to other things like hygiene essentials to the girls, help them with money making endeavors. “..I am ready to rise up to the occasion and be on the forefront in revolutionizing my community and subsequently, my state. I have the zeal to improve the lives of many so that they do not have to undergo the same difficulties I have had to encounter.”
2009 Update
Thus far, fifteen girls have joined Nafisa’s hen raising project with each contributing a hen and Ksh. 20 for hen food. The raising of hens and selling the eggs will provide income to help the girls with hygiene products, educational training, and school supplies.
Girls in Nafisa’s community use pieces of old cloth or even nothing during their menstruation period each month because feminine hygiene products are too expensive. The Girl Child Network in 2004 found that only 40-50 % of girls complete primary school. Among several reasons for this was the lack of adequate and gender sensitive sanitation facilities and sanitary towels at schools. Girls can miss 4-5 days a month due to menstruation which adds to 2 weeks over an academic term, and 6 weeks in a year. This absenteeism can result in poor grades which can lead to school drop out. Importantly, school drop out can lead to early marriage. It is of note that lack of education has been associated with HIV/AIDS infection.
In December 2008, Nafisa and her group members established a constitution and registered the group with the Ministry of Social Services. They also have a bank account with three signatories to provide transparency so each member knows how the money is spent. Currently Nafisa and her group have thirty chickens (layers).
2010 Update
▪Built chicken house and put up fence for chicken yard.
▪Added to poultry number N=40.
▪Started bank account for savings.
▪Taught women how to save and use microfinance to further small businesses.
▪Acquired sanitary towel samples to help girls learn to make the reusable towels.
Plan for 2010-2011
Train girls (including those who dropped out of school) on how to make sanitary towels for themselves and for income generating.
[Pictured left: Young girls holding sample of reusable sanitary towel.]
2011 Update
▪Made reusable sanitary towels for 20 members 8 sanitary towels each i.e. (8 pads x 20 = 160 pads).
▪Utilized 2 meters of the washable paper and 8 meters of the flannel cotton.
▪Purchase of a goat and sheep by six group members.
▪Dug compost pits for manure for the group members to use in improving crop yeilds.
Plans for 2011-2012
▪Purchase sewing machines and fixing buttons machines to improve output of reusable sanitary towels for use by girls and to sell.
▪Incubate chicken eggs and sell chicks locally for income generation.
▪Make and sell re-usable towels to nearby schools for income generation.
