Uman4Uman Educates Girls on Menstrual Health and Provides Reusable Sanitary Pads

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Last updated: 2023/05/26 at 5:33 PM

By Sallu Kamuskay Published May 26, 2023 97 Views 3 Min Read

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Founded by Haja Isatu Bah, Uman4Uman is a social enterprise that is dedicated to producing and selling reusable sanitary pads to women and girls in Sierra Leone. The organization has taken a step further by educating young girls in Anthony Primary School about menstrual health and period products.

The program was aimed at teaching over 50 adolescent girls between the ages of 10 to 14 about menstrual health and hygiene, as well as the proper use of reusable sanitary pads. The initiative was carried out in partnership with the school authorities, who were excited to have such an educative program for their female students.

The program was led by trained professionals who had vast knowledge about menstrual hygiene management and the use of reusable sanitary pads. The girls were taught how to properly wash and maintain their reusable sanitary pads, and the importance of using them instead of disposable pads.

The Uman4Uman team also provided the girls with free reusable sanitary pads, which they can use for up to one year. This will help to reduce the financial burden on their families, who may not be able to afford disposable pads every month.

The program was a huge success, as the girls were excited to learn about menstrual health and hygiene. They were also grateful for the free reusable sanitary pads, which they can use for a long time.

Uman4Uman’s initiative is commendable, as it helps to promote menstrual hygiene management and reduce the stigma associated with menstruation. The organization is making a significant impact in the lives of young girls in Sierra Leone, and we hope that more organizations will follow their lead.

In conclusion, Uman4Uman’s program at Anthony Primary School is a great example of how social enterprises can make a difference in the lives of people in their communities. It is important to educate young girls about menstrual health and hygiene, and provide them with access to affordable menstrual products. We applaud Uman4Uman for their efforts and hope that they continue to make a positive impact in the lives of women and girls in Sierra Leone.

Uman4Uman was founded in 2019 by Haja Isatu Bah, an environmental studies graduate from Skidmore College, New York.

As someone who has first-hand witnessed period poverty, and currently who has basic access to comfortable menstrual health products, she better understood how much of obstacle menstruation is for women in her country.

Hence her determination to bring safe, comfortable, affordable and sustainable sanitary products girls in her country. Using her tailoring skills and network, she developed a prototype and established her social enterprise with a team.

TAGGED: Haja Isatu Bah, period poverty, Sierra Leone, Uman4uman

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By Sallu Kamuskay

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Sallu Kamuskay is a Sierra Leonean communication strategist, fixer, blogger, youth organiser, event manager, spokesperson, and public relations expert. His work has been regularly referenced and published by national and international media and public policy institutions. Sallu Kamuskay was a child during the brutal war in Sierra Leone. Growing up in the midst of conflict, Sallu witnessed unimaginable abuse of children and gross violations of human rights. The horrors he witnessed during the Civil War had a terrible impact on him at a very tender age. But despite the shock of the war, Sallu never lost hope. He started on a journey of recovery, studying, and working for a better future. At age 15, Sallu entered into the world of activism and advocacy. Sallu Kamuskay was the Vice President of the Young Leaders Organisation, a member of the National Youth Council. The Young Leaders is one of the oldest youth-led organisations in West Africa. The organisation was formed by a group of young leaders, and launched by the then Head of State/President of Sierra Leone. Sallu was part of the group of young leaders who participated in and contributed to the establishment of the National Youth Council. The Commonwealth supported the training for trainers programme with line ministries and youth stakeholders in which key, representatives of youth council, student union and civil society/private sector youth platforms were engaged and empowered in the effective engagement and inclusion of youth. Sallu is co-founder and Executive Director of the Salone Messenger, a global multimedia and public relations firm based In Sierra Leone. Sallu has worked on various developmental and policy issues such as Poverty, Climate Change, Human rights, Child Rights, Education, Health, Gender Equality, Civic Engagement, Government policies, Information Communication Technology for Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and has also been contributing to various global events and advocacy campaigns. Sallu Kamuskay is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Salone Messenger, a global Multimedia and Public Relations Firm based in Sierra Leone with the latest news and information, on top stories, business, politics, entertainment, and more. Sallu is working with a leading technology company in Africa, Techfrica, that has recently developed and launched a social media, messaging Supfrica with over 150,000 downloads on the Google play store in less than 4 days. He is the Adviser and Media coordinator for the App to give people the platform to connect and communicate to help shape their future with a very fast internet that allows users that live in deprived and hard-to-reach areas with poor internet facility to be able to communicate as it allows and stronger on 2 and 3 G network reception. Sallu has over 9 years of experience in youth engagement, inclusion, and coordination both at local and global levels, giving voice to young people and engaging young people to build a better world. He has served as coordinator for the Wave Alliance which brought together youth-led organisations who attended an international training in South Africa organized by the International Organization – Waves for Change. Sallu is working with the MLT, Waves For Change, and the Government to develop safe spaces for young people, with a view to contributing to the overall development goals of young people including health, as well as to community rebuilding. Sallu is currently the Programme Director for the Wave Alliance, which is a coalition of youth-led and community-based organisations that have successfully introduced evidence-based Surf Therapy programs to young people in communities, with a focus on mental health, peace building and sustainable development. Sallu is currently the focal point and face of Africa’s Faces Social media platform which is a global Social media platform that brings together people from across the world to share their moments, connect, share videos, and interact with friends giving more preference to excluded continents like Africa. Sallu Kamuskay has devoted his time to working for or contributing to a number of national and international organizations and companies, including the Techfrica Technology Company, United Nations, ECOWAS, European Union, Commonwealth Africa Initiatives. This work has led him to travel to a number of countries to contribute to global youth platforms. Sallu is the lead Coordinator for Peace Tour programme, an initiative supported by the European Union, Africa Union, ECOWAS focusing on uniting and empowering young people and local communities. Over the years, Sallu Kamuskay has been using his Techno phone to be able to tell stories, the phone he used to tell the story of Gbessay during Ebola who was admitted at one of the Ebola treatment centers after rumors that she had Ebola when the actual sickness was ulcer, she was almost abandoned at the treatment canter with no medication provided to her. She could have died. Sallu told the story via social media and was able to secure funding from the United Sierra Leone to buy her medication and advocated for her. She was later discharged and taken home, He did the same to a patient that died and was abandoned in the street, Sallu Kamuskay used his phone and shared the message across, the corps was later taken and buried. It could have been more disaster without his voice. The story of late America Stress 3-year-old daughter. The hero’s daughter was abandon after his father's death. He shared her sad story and was able to get a sister who has taken the child as her own and is currently providing her with educational support. The article of America Stress can be read on the link below http://ayvnewspaper.com/index.php/k2-categories/item/7350-america-stress-a-hero-to-recognize. Sallu Kamuskay feels the stories of Gbessay, America stress and that of many others need to be told. The media house we have cannot better tell these stories, they are better reporters than telling human interest stories. He created the Salone Messenger platform and brought together passionate storytellers to be able to tell these compelling stories.