When we stocked the sanitary towel bank at Mama Ngina Primary School, the school erupted in smiles everywhere. In that real moment, over 500 girls knew that they would no longer have to miss class again due to menstruation. A box of sanitary pads was all it took to become a passport to human dignity, learning and endless possibilities. Sadly, to say, the heartbreaking truth is that too many girls still have to choose between staying home and dropping out altogether in one basket, all due to the lack of access to these basic necessities that should be available for every girl.
The Cost of Exclusion
The Africa we envisage is anchored in our classrooms. Sadly, the girl child is too often being omitted from the narrative. Each day, poverty, stigma, cultural practices and systemic exclusion send girls out of school. Supporting their education is no longer a mere act of kindness, it is an act of justice, equity and nation-building. To have a girl in school is to have a student and hope for the future. More importantly, she is the seed of a stronger family, a healthier community and a more prosperous Africa.
At the Darren Hart Foundation, we begin with a core belief that every girl has value and deserves dignity, safety and opportunity. In 2024 alone, we reached to up to 1,500 girls with sanitary pads, bringing menstrual health with dignity. Through school pad banks and events such as World Menstrual Hygiene Day in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum, we reached over 400 school-age girls and young mothers while ensuring inclusivity through the donation of footballs and clothes to boys.
Our My Body Is My Body child protection initiative empowers children to say “No” to violence. We provide mentorship classes where the girls can freely talk and build their resilience to aspire big in life. In Uhuyi Primary School in Siaya County, we collaborated with other organizations to distribute sanitary towels, books and pens, working to meet urgent needs while instilling hope among young learners.
Working With Communities, Not Around Them
We have collaborated with grassroots groups in Mathare slum and elsewhere to reach flood, poverty and displacement-affected children and families. Basics like food, pads and clothes bring back dignity in crisis. At Memorial and Smile Children’s Homes, we do more: birthdays, cooking, mentoring, and making every child feel seen and valued.
In 2024, we planted 400 trees and gathered 18 tons of waste under our Plastics for Charity and clean-up initiatives. Boys and girls are taught that they are keepers of the environment and creating healthier, greener communities for future generations.
The Future of Africa Depends on Her Girls
Among the girls we supported, one was on the verge of dropping out of school at 14 since she was unable to pay school fees. With covered school fees and mentoring, not only did she stay in school, but today she is studying for university. She aspires to be a lawyer, fighting for justice in her community. Her experience reminds us that when a girl is empowered, communities are elevated with her.
But with as much as these stories inspire us, we are confronted with systemic exclusion. As put one reflection: “This country is in a loop, our yesterdays are the same as the present. Nothing has changed; it’s the same suffering, same exclusion and same struggles. How is it possible that even today the University of Nairobi is still protesting against registration fee increases? … To deny the youth education is to deny this country a future.”
For the girl child, the stakes are even greater. If poor students continue to be locked out of university education after decades of hardship, what chance does a girl from a poor background, already experiencing multiple layers of deprivation, discrimination and patriarchal oppression really have? When a girl stays in school, she does not just learn. She inspires, empowers and transforms. Africa’s future is dependent on our choice to stand behind our girls today.
