Turkana Woman Representative Cecilia Ngitit has allocated Sh18 million from the National Government Affirmative Action Fund for bursary, sanitary towels,electric sewing machines and empowerment programmes.
She said on Monday Sh7.8million has been set aside for bursary, Sh7.8 million for civic education and Sh7.8 for economic empowerment.
Ngitit said Sh5 million was disbursed for electric sewing machines and Sh3.8 million for bursaries.
“There is a group that has been forgotten, students who sit for KCSE exams and fail to get to university entry level are abandoned. Some end up languishing in the village, drinking alcohol, abusing drugs and taking part in other immoral activities,” she said during the launch on Monday.
Ngitit said they have taken some of the students to Makueni, Mombasa and Nairobi counties for their studies and they are committed to pay their KNEC fees, tuition fees and accommodation.
"In order to cushion girls from period shame, stigma, demand for favours and provide a safe space, they have provided enough sanitary towels to girls in primary and secondary schools," she said.
She said free sanitary towels will be provided to all schools in subcounties, with the pilot programme beginning in Turkana Central and North.
She said the sanitary towels will provide dignity and self-esteem for schoolgirls.
She said they are distributing 40 electric sewing machines to women's groups, including Gender Based Violence survivors, former inmates from Lodwar prison, students at polytechnics and TVETs to upscale fashion industry from analog to modern.
She said the aim of this initiative is to improve social economic empowerment by reducing dependence on white-collar jobs and create the norm women themselves can employ.
As part of the social economic empowerment program, Ngitit said her office will procure water pumps, plastic water tanks and generators to support the group farming along the Rivers Turkwel and Kerio.
She said this will promote agribusiness and nutrition value for sustainable food security.
Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai appreciated the office of the Women Rep for prioritising the basic needs of ggirddisgirls in Turkana.
He deplored that many young girls from poor families cannot afford sanitary towels for their health hygiene.
“I commend your efforts to ensure the needs of girl children are taken care of, because our girls are very delicate and their parents are unable to afford their sanitary towels for their hygiene,” he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)