Over 1 billion people – about 15% of the global population – currently experience disability and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), women and girls with disabilities may experience menarche and menstruation differently—and more negatively—compared to non-disabled women.

I sat down with Josephine Muturi, teacher living with disability who continues to empower many women and girls to live to their best abilities, more-during their Menstruation and has an important call to action for the government.

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For a lot of teen girls, the onset of their periods comes with trauma and the ever familiar statement from their mother; do not play with boys! But how do they internalize the information across counties in Kenya? We learnt about experiences in Homabay County, which hosts the valuable Lake Victoria which is a source of livelihood for many residents and also heard from boys, some of whom are pushing normalize the conversation in their communities.

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She's one of the most recognizable voices in advocacy in Kenya and is a global champion for human rights, an author, a podcaster and a style icon! We spoke with Adelle Onyango about her thoughts on legislation and empathy for Menstruators, many of whom continue to struggle to access sanitary products and information on their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

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When the book My First Time was published, some of the diverse voices that were represented in text, came to life through a series of audio conversations that continue to hold true just two years later. Legendary Kenyan Sports Commentator Carol Radull, talked to My First Time about period poverty, myths and the power to do so much more. 

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In many communities, family, especially the mother, has the most important role in the education and health behaviors of girls, in order for them to have a healthy transition during their puberty. Madhvi, who is a Menstrual Health Champion and founder of the progressive platform, PadMad, has been empowering girls across Kenya and is now often time joined by her 12 year old daughter, Neeyati. Not only has this allowed Neeyati to become comfortable in her own transition, but she's also developed a period starter kit for girls. On today's episode I spoke to the mother-daughter duo about how they're fighting period poverty and period stigma. 

Find and support PadMad here: 

www.padmadkenya.com

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: PadMad

Instagram: padmad_ke

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According to UNICEF, more than 1.2 million primary school-age children in Kenya, which has a population of 50 million, do not attend school at all. 

Research shows that 65% of Kenyan women and girls are unable to afford basic sanitary pads. As a consequence, girls often rely on the men in their lives for period products and some girls engage in transactional sex in order to secure sanitary products, perpetuating a patriarchal cycle of reliance and exploitation. In this episode I spoke to Benazir Omotto and Lavender Akinyi of Umande Trust, a rights based agency based in Kenya, on the work Benna does to highlight gaps in Menstrual health in informal settlements such as Kibra where they're based, and their collective call to action for their to be more monitoring and evaluation regarding distribution of sanitary pads. 

Follow and support Umande Trust through their social media pages: 

@Umande_Trust on Twitter and Umande Trust Facebook page

and mine 

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Talking openly about Menstruation has often been deemed taboo. Although this is beginning to change as we see more members of society speaking up against stigma and poverty, myths, misconceptions, and misinformation about periods feed into stigma which can be hugely damaging for many girls, women, and people who menstruate around the world. On this episode I spoke to Angela and Mo, two thirds of the trio Sister Speaks Global, who are Menstrual Champions and Podcast hosts, on matters women, health and more. We also learn about how they are providing access to products for girls across Kenya, one pas dispenser at a time.

Sister Speaks Global information:

Instagram and TikTok @sisterspeaks254

Facebook: Sisterspeaks254 'Dada Ongea'

LinkedIn: Sisterspeaks Global & Heels4Pads Foundation

Email: [email protected]

Internationally:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/heels4pads-initiative

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Access to tampons and pads for incarcerated people is a right, not a privilege. Yet the world over, inmates have to beg for what they need to manage their period. On today's episode, we speak to Teresa Njoroge, the fonder of Clean Start who has also made her story global on TED Talks. She currently runs an organization that helps former inmates across Africa re-integrate in to society. A former inmate herself, she describes her experience when menstruating behind bars and appeals to policymakers to implement existing policies that protect inmates while asking for the public to extend empathy and donate products, where possible. For any inquiries about Clean Start or to learn how to donate, find their contacts here: +254 735 535 164 or via email at [email protected] Follow My First Time across social media here: Instagram: @MyFirstTimeStories Facebook: My First Time Stories

Welcome to my first time stories