The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd, the company leading the development of Uganda’s crude oil export pipeline together with Malaika have partnered to provide dignity hampers to almost 1500 schoolgirls in the districts of Hoima, Kikuube, Kakumiro, Mubende and Kyankwanzi as part of efforts to tackle a critical barrier to education.
The “Keep a Girl in School” initiative aims to promote menstrual health and address the challenges girls face in accessing education due to lack of sanitary materials.
During the ceremony, the school going girls were each given a dignity hamper containing four packets of reusable sanitary pads, three pairs of underwear, and a bucket.
These reusable pads are sustainable offering a long-term solution and long-term support to girls who need them the most.
According to statistics by Human Rights Watch, one in ten girls in sub-Saharan Africa are absent from school during their period due to lack of access to sanitary amenities.
This not only affects their education but also their confidence and this situation is particularly critical in rural areas and urban poor areas like the Albertine region where poverty limits access to menstrual hygiene amenities.
This intervention forms part of EACOP’s sustainability priorities under youth opportunities, where education is a key element.
The hampers was officially handed over by Social and Environmental Investment Manager – Matred Murungi during a ceremony held at Kabaale Public Primary School, Hoima District.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Mirungi emphasized the importance of empowering girls through education, stating that the initiative will contribute significantly to the girls’ welfare and high school retention.
"International Women's Month 2025 urges us to accelerate action—and this donation is just one of the ways we are working to make immediate change. Menstrual health is a fundamental part of ensuring that girls can thrive in school. By ensuring access to sanitary products, we are removing a major barrier to education and giving girls the opportunity to succeed and break the cycle of inequality,” Murungi said.
Malaika team leader, Dorothy Awori said when UPE was introduced in 1997, it represented a significant achievement for the education sector, but over time, a concerning trend of increasing school dropout rates has been observed.
“Most schools experience a sharp decline in enrollment as children progress to higher grades, sometimes dwindling to 20 or, at best, 40 students.A nationwide survey, conducted by the Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF, and other key stakeholders, revealed the underlying causes of this dropout rate. These include poverty, child labor, parental negligence, and the absence of positive role models.However, for girls, a recurring issue across the country—from north to south, east to central—was menstrual-related challenges,”Awori said.
“ These challenges encompass the lack of sanitary pads, insufficient information on menstruation and menstrual health, inadequate sanitation facilities for changing or washing pads, and the absence of rainwater harvesting tanks.”
She said that eventually, due to lack of sanitary pads, many girls resort to improvisation and some miss school for three to five days each month, leading to academic setbacks and eventual dropout.
“Others engage in relationships with older men for sanitary products or use unhygienic materials, resulting in urinary tract infections.”
Awori said the intervention of donating dignity hampers to girls will benefit at least 1500 learners in 20 schools in the districts of Hoima, Kyankwanzi, Kiboga, Mubende, and Kakumiro.
She applauded EACOP for the initiative .
“Our role as implementers involves a comprehensive approach, recognizing that menstrual health extends beyond sanitary pads. Our five-fold model includes distributing pads and hampers, menstrual health and hygiene training, demonstrating how to make reusable pads with local materials, peer to peer support as well as engaging boys, fathers, male teachers and grandfathers.”
“To EACOP, thank you for addressing these challenges and empowering girls to pursue their dreams, and to the girls, today is for you. Stay in school, work hard, and transform your lives. We believe in you. “
Speaking on behalf of the school, Dan Busobozi, the head teacher at Kabaale Public Primary School commended EACOP’s for their efforts in the pad donation drive.
“We’d like to thank the team from EACOP for joining hands with us as we strive to ensure girls in our school have access to proper menstrual hygiene towels.”