About Period Pride Kenya
Our Story: From Silence to Action
Period Pride Kenya is a non-governmental organization established to advocate for menstrual health equity and dignity for girls in underserved areas of Kenya. Our work sits at the intersection of menstrual health and climate change; climate shocks like floods and droughts often make it impossible for girls to manage their periods safely, stay in school, or access basic services. Our foundation is built on the belief that listening to lived experiences is the only way to drive real change in planning and policy.
In 2019, a tragic case in Narok County -covered by the BBC -changed everything. A young girl lost her life following public humiliation at school during her first period. She had no menstrual health education and no safe support system.
“That moment made it clear: period poverty is not just about products. It is about dignity, mental well-being, education, and creating safe spaces. If we don’t address stigma and lack of education together, girls are pushed into silence and harm.” – Founder, Period Pride Kenya
Vision
A Kenya where every girl learns, leads, and thrives with dignity, free from period poverty and climate-driven health barriers.
Mission
To eliminate school absenteeism by providing sustainable menstrual health solutions, climate-resilient WASH facilities, and transformative leadership mentorship for girls in rural Kenya.
Our Story
At Period Pride Kenya, we are on a mission to break the silence and stigma surrounding menstruation by promoting menstrual health education, fighting period poverty, and empowering schoolgirls across Kenya. We provide access to reusable sanitary pads, deliver reproductive health workshops, and advocate against early pregnancies and child marriages — all with the aim of keeping girls safe, confident, and in school.
We recognize that being a girl in rural Kenya means facing a “perfect storm” of overlapping crises. We address the systemic root causes that keep girls out of the classroom:
- The Climate-Dignity Intersection: Climate shocks like floods and droughts don’t just affect crops; they make it impossible for girls to manage their periods safely. When water disappears, dignity is the first thing lost. We build Climate-Resilient Infrastructure so that a girl’s health isn’t at the mercy of the weather.
- Eradicating the “Triple Threat”: In rural areas, a lack of basic hygiene products fuels the “Triple Threat”: HIV, Teenage Pregnancy, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). No girl should ever be forced into transactional sex just to afford a sanitary pad. Our programs provide a safety net of protection and justice.
- Overcoming “Time Poverty”: As the primary water collectors, girls often walk long distances during droughts, losing the time and energy needed for school. By bringing WASH systems directly to schools, we return that time to girls, allowing them to focus on their education.
- Closing the Digital & STEM Gap: We don’t just want girls to stay in school; we want them to excel. By integrating STEM mentorship and “Future-Ready” skills, we ensure that being a girl in a rural area does not mean being left out of the modern global economy.
The tragic reality of period poverty in Kenya became starkly evident in September 2019, when a 14-year-old schoolgirl took her own life after being allegedly shamed in class for having her period and staining her uniform. This devastating incident, reported by the BBC, highlighted the severe consequences of menstrual stigma and lack of access to proper sanitary products. The girl's mother reported that her daughter had been humiliated by a teacher, leading to a community outcry with about 200 parents protesting outside the school. This tragedy underscores the urgent need for comprehensive menstrual health education and support systems that protect the dignity and well-being of young girls. While Kenya passed a law in 2017 to provide free sanitary towels for schoolgirls, implementation gaps and persistent stigma continue to affect countless young women across the country. Period Pride Kenya was founded to bridge these gaps and ensure that no girl ever faces such devastating consequences due to her natural biological process.
Our commitment is to place girls at the center of every solution. We are dedicated to protecting their dignity, health, and bodily autonomy while ensuring uninterrupted access to education through menstrual hygiene support and scholarships. We commit to creating safe environments free from gender-based violence, advancing comprehensive wellness and digital dignity, and building economic and climate resilience within communities. Through inclusive partnerships and accountability, we stand with girls not only to survive today’s challenges, but to lead and shape a more just, equitable, and sustainable future.
We are committed to Community-Led Engagement and Gender Justice. We do not believe in top-down solutions; instead, we build local ownership by partnering with parents, school boards, and community leaders. By centering the decision-making power of girls, we ensure they lead the change they want to see.