PUBERTY EDUCATION AMONG PRE-TEENS NEEDS TO GAIN MOMENTUM |

 As the world is gearing up to mark the International Day of the Girl Child this Saturday, it is important that Kenyans take time and celebrate women’s achievement and look at ways to gain momentum in championing women’s equality.

Kenya has made significant momentum in educating the girl child, which has seen more and more girls exposed to the possibilities and opportunities around them. As a result, the country has witnessed lower child mortality rates, better child care, better education outcomes and smaller families.

However, even as we make great strides towards making the Kenyan woman more economical, politically and socially empowered, we must not forget the basics of aspects of womanhood: feminine hygiene education.

This year, the government allocated 300 million shillings ($4million) to the provision of free sanitary towels to girls in schools during the school calendar year. I commend the move and believe that the provision should continue to be coupled with feminine hygiene education on the use of sanitary pads as well as personal hygiene. With the sanitary pad market penetration being at 15 percent, stakeholders need to evaluate how to better create awareness about the use and importance of sanitary pads to young girls.

 

I remember my journey to sensitizing stakeholders in Education on the importance of mainstreaming puberty education and provision of sanitary towels begun in 2007 during stakeholders meetings to discuss best practices on the issue. I am glad that there is light at the tunnel and now the issue of girls missing school is talked not just in quiet but is all over the media.

Even with many organizations starting sanitary pads distribution around the country, one seeks to ask what happens to girls in the rural parts of the country who have never heard of sanitary pads despite them having started their menstrual period. Then one begs to ask, will the 300 million be enough to reach that girl in the rural Kenya?

As Always is a global player on menstrual hygiene, we feel responsible and committed to share our long-lasting experience in puberty and menstrual education- as we have done this since 1956 globally and locally for over 20 years. 

Being a Global player on menstrual hygiene, we feel responsible and committed to share our long-lasting experience in puberty and menstrual education, to democratize our knowledge and make our products available to teenage girls for experiencing them, in line with the overall Always brand purpose of advocating and empowering woman to live life to their fullest potential. This is the reason why we invest in the range of educational programs: providing the experience of our menstrual products is unconceivable without providing the educational necessary background to teenage girls.

As a company, we have taken upon ourselves to complement the Government’s effort by promoting personal hygiene among young girls, to take away the fears among girls during menstruation, to let the girls know clearly about their reproductive system and about the best menstrual protection system. With simple mechanisms such as hiring qualified registered nurses to pass the health education message and providing free sanitary pads samples, Procter & Gamble has been able to reach over 200,000 girls annually.

However our efforts are just a drop in the ocean and to be able reach more girls, more stakeholders in both the public and private sector must join efforts to reach more girls with the feminine and puberty education. It is pointless to arm a girl with a sanitary pad and no education on how to use it or how to take care of her body during her menstrual period.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, more than one in ten school girls skip more than a day when menstruating due to lack of awareness on how to take care of themselves. This is between 10 – 25 percent of their time in school thus creates a disadvantage on them over their boy counterparts. This is a figure we must all strive to eradicate through private public partnerships.

With time, we should have more meaningful International Day of the Girl Child celebrations once small initiatives such as provision of sanitary pad and puberty education to girls have gained national momentum.

As poet Maya Angelou once said, “When you know better you do better.”

Ms Mwathi 

Communications Manager with Procter & Gamble East Africa.

CA TAKES ‘KIKAO KIKUU’ CONSUMER ICT FORUM TO NAKURU

ICT industry regulator, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) held the second Consumer County ICT Forum in Nakuru. 

Dubbed Kikao Kikuu, the event held at Nakuru show ground, brought together consumers of communications services, mobile service providers, ICT equipment vendors, Nakuru County officials as well as other Government departments.

Speaking at the forum, Communications Authority of Kenya, Director General, Francis Wangusi noted, “We are delighted to be in Nakuru County, one of the fastest growing towns in Africa”. He reiterated the fact that ICTs have greatly transformed the way we interact and do business. “It is therefore imperative for us at the Communications Authority of Kenya to work closely with the County Governments in an effort to ensure that counties have access to affordable ICT services ultimately leads to the transformation of lives of the citizenry.”

On his part, Nakuru County Governor, His Excellency Kinuthia Mbugua was happy to host Kikao Kikuu in his County. He noted that the initiative by the Authority will provide consumers with valuable information which will enable them wisely make use of communications services. He highlighted the various ICT initiatives that his County was undertaking, “we are currently in the process of Automating revenue collection by building an electronic platform which will enable Nakuru residents get services wherever they are anytime.” In addition, he noted that they were establishing computer centers in all the sub-counties to facilitate access to ICT services.

The interactive forums will be rolled out in phases across the counties over the next two years. After Nakuru, Kikao Kikuu will move to Nairobi and other counties.

Kikao Kikuu is part of the Authority’s initiatives to increase consumer education in the country.

Procter & Gamble upgrades Pampers brand in Kenya to give babies drier, undisturbed nights of sleep

Many moms describe the sleepless nights they have in their experience of raising their babies, and often a wet diaper is to blame for the sleep disturbance. For this reason, Procter & Gamble has introduced an upgraded Pampers diaper, which keeps baby dry for a whole night of sleep, uninterrupted by wetness.

The upgraded Pampers product will retail at the current price point. It will be available in all sizes and comes with a core containing more absorbent gel material (AGM), which absorbs and locks in wetness, thus keeping it away from the baby’s skin.
Pampers Brand Manager Inem Nsimah said the introduction of the new variant is as a result of research and innovation that sought to offer Kenyan mothers a product that addresses their most important needs.

“The number one need that mothers have expressed concerning a diaper is overnight dryness for their little ones. When babies sleep better, they wake up more active and able to enjoy the day. Mothers have asked for a more absorbent diaper as well as one that is a perfect fit to their babies’ anatomies and this is what we are giving them with the new and improved Pampers ,” said Mrs. Nsimah.

Diapers have to work extra-hard for baby at night-time, as they need to absorb up to 50% more liquid than they do during the day. The new and improved Pampers diaper now has more super gel that absorbs and locks away wetness, keeping babies’ skin drier overnight.
At the 2014 Baby Banda Pregnancy and Baby Fair, mothers were given an opportunity to sample the new product and this is what a few of them had to say:

Bella Makokha: I have tried the new diapers and they are very absorbent and light for the baby’s comfort. They are worth it.

Susan Manosu: I’m grateful for the new pampers n am so happy because they keep my daughter dry all day n all night. Thank you so much

Beth Nyaga:  First, I want to thank you for giving me the honor of being among the first moms to try the new improved pampers size 5. I used it since Friday night and I must say am a happy mum. It does not soak fast and fits my baby who is 16kg perfectly. No more side leaks.

Dr David Githanga, Chairman of the Kenya Paediatric Association (KPA) said that diapers play a vital role in the healthy development of babies through uninterrupted sleep.

GILLETTE AND McLAREN MERCEDES ENHANCE OFFICIAL PARTNERSHIP

Gillette, the world’s leading male grooming brand, is enhancing its collaboration with McLaren Mercedes, one of the most prestigious and successful teams in F1 history. The two brands are extending their partnership to bring to life an innovative marketing campaign focused on Precision Engineering.

The partnership covers the Europ9e, Middle East and Africa. Gillette and McLaren, which share an ethos of innovation and precision engineering, are coming together for an exciting new marketing campaign emphasising the ways the two brands push boundaries of technology. With this partnership, the male shaving category will move up a gear.

As the ultimate male grooming and high-technology experts, Gillette and McLaren constantly innovate to achieve greater precision and enhanced performance. Ultimate precision technology and a passion for winning are deeply encoded in the DNA of both brands. Gillette and McLaren lead engineering refinement, whether that’s seen in developing blades thinner than a wave length of light, or engineering car components that are accurate tolerances of a fraction of a human hair.

Gillette ushered in the era of modern shaving and for 110 years constantly reinvented the shaving category. McLaren pioneered the first carbon fibre chassis in Formula 1 and introduced advanced electronic systems leading to decades of ground-breaking achievements on the track.

This passion for the best will be further leveraged through a pioneering sports marketing campaign that aims to reach and inspire millions of men with cutting edge communication behind TV, Digital, PR and In-store programs. McLaren Mercedes F1 drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen will engage men’s passion for Formula 1 and thrill the millions that enjoy Gillette grooming expertise and superior technology day in, day out.

Eric Boullier, Racing Director at McLaren Mercedes, said: “It is very exciting to be able to announce a new partnership between McLaren Mercedes and Gillette.  Gillette is synonymous with precision engineering and with innovation. These are values we hold dear at McLaren as we strive to deliver world beating performance. The fact that a global brand, of the stature of Gillette, has chosen to engage in a major multi-national partnership with McLaren Mercedes is also a reflection of the strength of our brand and our ability to reach millions of avid motorsport fans around the world.” 

“Gillette has a rich heritage of making men feel and be at their best. We stand for excellence in shaving. We couldn’t think of any partner that shares those values more than McLaren Mercedes”, commented Hossam Ashour, Gillette Europe, the Middle East and Africa Shave Care Vice President. “For more than 40 years McLaren has innovated in superior engineering and performance. This makes them the ideal partner to demonstrate our belief in the importance of the precision when it comes to shaving.”

Like McLaren Mercedes, its Official Partner, Gillette has always applied immaculate detail to every one of its own innovations; engineering and refining products down to the microscopic razor’s edge. It is this precision that gives 800 million men across the globe the edge; shaving performance that makes them look, feel and perform at their best. With years of technological and product innovation of this calibre, Gillette has created its most advanced razor ever – as seen in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide, a true advancement in shaving precision and performance.

Airtel Africa team brightens up orphaned children in Mathare school

 
 

…marketing team inspires Mogra Star pupils and tips them on how to be successful in life

…slum school is catering for some of the most underprivileged, but promising, children in Kenya

 Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications service provider with operations in 20 countries across South Asia and Africa, made a connection with over 800 orphaned children in Mathare, by visiting Mogra Star

Academy, one of the most underprivileged institutions of its kind in the Kenyan capital.

Airtel Africa’s marketing team, which drives the company’s brand in the continent, made a donation of Kshs 150,000 and other items including clothes, blankets and toys to the children. More importantly, the team interacted with the children, inspiring them with tips on how to build their budding potential while in school.

Mogra Star is located in Nairobi’s Mathare, a slum area situated three miles east of the city’s central business district, and considered one of the worst in Africa. Mathare is home to over 600,000 inhabitants occupying an area of two square miles.

Airtel Africa Chief Marketing Officer Andre Beyers, who led the team, said: “Airtel’s marketing team has been inspired by the story of Mogra Star and its indomitable spirit of the founder who has been selfless in nurturing the dreams of these children. Our team’s hope is to see the institution developed in order to secure as many lives out there in the streets as possible, and transform them into tomorrow's leaders.”

Mr. Beyers said the marketing team’s philanthropic gesture is a part of the company’s larger corporate responsibility goal of supporting sustainable learning in schools, a model that Airtel has adopted for tens of schools across Africa.

Mogra Star Academy provides education at both primary and secondary levels and seeks to provide a better foundation for a brighter future to the pupils and students. The institution not only provides education but also food and shelter to the destitute children.

The Mogra Project was founded in 1998 as an initiative of Mrs. Hanna Njoroge. Having been brought up in the slums, she was aware of the many children unable to go to school because of abject poverty with their parents also unable to pay school fees.

Mrs Njoroge realized the children not attending school engaged in petty crime, scavenged for food and were being forced into child labour. She set up a children’s home in Mathare which she registered as a charitable children’s institution. She then realized many children were unable to attend a school and so founded Mogra Star Academy to provide free education in the Mathare slum.

Airtel Africa’s ‘Our School’ programme involves tens of primary schools which have been adopted in rural areas of 17 African countries where Airtel operates. Working closely with the governments in these countries, the initiative seeks to improve the delivery of quality education to children, especially those from underprivileged areas. So far the schools under the programme are catering to over 16,000 underprivileged children.