Women pose for a photo during the menstrual health forum at Stable Anchor Church in Githurai on Saturday, February 15, 2025.Women in Githurai convened for the second annual menstrual health forum under the auspice of Bahari Sisters over the weekend where they learnt about reusable sanitary towels.
Up to 150 women were able to receive reusable sanitary towels from Afripads, as well as innerwear. The women also had an interactive session where they got to ask intimate questions about their bodies.
Bahari Sisters Founder and Executive Director Vicki L. Jones oversees the menstrual health forum every year in February at Stable Anchor Church in Githurai.
Jones said Bahari Sisters seeks to empower women, particularly those from needy backgrounds.
“We just want to make life easier for women, and this year, we hope to do much more,” Jones said.
She said as an African-American, she may not fully comprehend the challenges the local women face and urged them to be vocal about the ways they would like assistance to grow economically.
Bahari Sisters Project Assistant Catherine Muturi and Bahari Sisters Project Manager Audrey Ochieng taught the women how to wear and wash the reusable pads which are environmentally friendly.
The women lauded efforts by Bahari Sisters and Afripads, noting that they will now save on the expenditure of buying disposable pads.
Some noted that they get burns and feel itchy with disposable pads.
My Body My Body Founder and Executive Director Brenda Alwanyi who led the interactive session urged the women to speak to their daughters about menstrual health and sex education.
“Don’t shy away from speaking to your daughters about these topics. Teach them what you know,” Alwanyi said.
“Some of us are still struggling with relationships because no one taught how to handle one. Some girls get pregnant early because no one taught them about safe sex.”
The women confessed that they hardly received any education from their parents about menstrual and sexual health growing up.
They vowed to do better for future generations by educating their daughters about their bodies.
Alwanyi taught the women about hygiene for their delicate parts, how to detect infections, and how to handle Gender Based Violence among other feminine-based topics.
Initially, Bahari Sisters, which was founded in 2012, used to conduct pad drives in schools.
However, they realized there was an information gap between the parents and the children. Thus they moved to start engaging women as well through the annual forum.
Other than the annual women’s menstrual health forum, Bahari Sisters also deliver foodstuffs to 20 needy families every month and computers to schools.
