Every month, thousands of girls in Uganda pack their books, put on their uniforms, and walk to school with big dreams. But for 6 out of every 10 girls, that journey is interrupted, not by laziness, not by lack of ambition, but by something natural, human, and often spoken about in whispers: their period.
According to research cited in the Ministry of Education and Sports’ Value for Money Report 2024 by the Auditor General, 64% of girls in Uganda miss school during their periods simply because they do not have access to sanitary products.
That is not just a statistic. That is a girl sitting at home in shame while her classmates move ahead.
That is a girl losing a week of learning every month, falling behind, and quietly wondering if school is even for her.
That is a future doctor, teacher, engineer, or leader whose potential is paused because of poverty.
More Than Hygiene. It’s About Dignity
Menstrual poverty is not only about pads. It is about dignity.
It is about a girl being able to learn without fear, without embarrassment, and without choosing between her health and her education.
At the Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga Foundation, we believe that every child is made in the image of God. To deny a girl her right to education because of her period is to deny her the chance to become all that God created her to be.
When a girl misses school repeatedly, the effects are deep:
Learning gaps grow wider
Confidence fades
The risk of dropping out increases
And the cycle of poverty continues
No girl should have to choose between bleeding and learning
Hope in Action
Across our communities, schools, and parishes, we are seeing what happens when we talk openly and act with compassion.
Teachers are being trained. Parents are being sensitized. And girls are being given more than pads they are being given knowledge, confidence, and support.
But the need is still great. In rural and underserved schools, the gap remains
A Call to Walk Together
This is where you come in.
Join the Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga Foundation in our “Let Her Stay in School” Campaign.
You can help:
Donate a Pad Pack: Provide sanitary products for 1 girl for 1 term
Sponsor a School: Help us equip girls with pads, reusable kits, and menstrual health education
Volunteer & Advocate: Speak in your parish, school, or workplace. Break the silence.
Every pad donated is a day of school saved.
Every conversation started is a stigma broken.
Every girl supported is a future secured.
Let us honor the memory of Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, a shepherd who stood for the vulnerable by- standing with our girls today.
Donate now: https://acklaf.org/donation
Partner with us: info@acklaf.org | +256750555882
LetHerStayInSchool #DignityForGirls
Because when a girl stays in school, a nation rises.
