The Always Keeping Girls in School Program is inspired by the Always brand purpose (to unleash women and girls’ confidence so they can be whoever they want to be) and by Procter & Gamble’s commitment to gender equality building a world where everyone sees equal. In line with this, 2016 saw Bethel Network starting to provide puberty education and free sanitary pads to girls in primary schools, in marginalized and most vulnerable regions in Kenya, to help address the issue of absenteeism when on their menses. AKGIS is an integrated life-skills, puberty and Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) education program that aims to provide holistic support for girls to develop their self-awareness, voice, and knowledge, and empower girls to actively participate in community and family decision making. Through this initiative, girls are provided with a year’s supply of quality Always sanitary pads, a panty, age-appropriate life skills, GBV and MHM and puberty and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) education, and a booklet with information on puberty and menstrual hygiene.
The program also aims to empower girls as well as boys aged 11-14 years in primary schools by providing them with education on puberty, menstrual hygiene management and life skills. The inclusion of boys in the program has gone a long way in reducing stigma and also supporting the girls. This program is in line with the Ministry of Education’s Gender Policy in Education and Bethel Network have been given the approval to run the program nationally. The program runs in a school for 3-4 years to ensure impact
