SAYWEN’s primary goals are to ingrain dignity and strengthen confidence in young African girls. Our slogan is that no menstruation shall hinder a girl’s education.
Over the last 14 years, SAYWEN has supported African adolescent girls through the following:
- Regular monthly provision of sanitary wear to vulnerable and impoverished girls
- Promoting reproductive health, hygiene, puberty and sexual
- Discussing stigmas around menstruation. The discussions are helpful. After all, adolescent African girls are affected by the stigma that is accustomed to menstruation because those around them often do not have sufficient knowledge about it.
Currently, SAYWEN supports over half a million girls in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia. Our findings are that girls participating in SAYWEN’s reproductive health, hygiene, puberty and sexual education programmes feel less ashamed about menstruation and become more self-confident and self-assured. In addition, the girls become knowledgeable about puberty and sexual and reproductive health and are at the end of the program.