Fourteen-year-old Trevor Emmanuel Byaboona is a Primary Seven student at Great View Primary School in the eastern district of Kamuli. A great speaker, wonderful entertainer and meticulous craftsman, Byaboona is breaking down the stigma and silence surrounding menstruation.
His engagement shows that when men and boys are educated about menstruation, they are better equipped to understand the challenges faced by menstruators, can offer support and challenge harmful cultural norms.
Standing in front of a classroom of 42 learners, Byaboona lays out some items in preparation for practical demonstration; cardboard, a piece of cotton fabric, a thick cloth, polythene, thread, needle, buttons and a pair of scissors. He is preparing for yet another training session, teaching his school mates how to make reusable sanitary pads. All eager to learn something practical after finishing their end of year examinations, the session seems as entertaining as it is, educational and informative. Byaboona hums to a tune, describing each item and its relevance to the presentation.
With enviable dexterity, he cuts through the lines he has drawn earlier, whistles a tune as he checks the cloth with the cardboard mold and satisfied, he sets the soft cotton aside and picks the harder fabric.
Explaining the purpose of each item that he shapes and raising it high for everyone to see, the humorous boy poses a question from time to time to confirm that the learners have understood.
“You all know why I am shaping this cardboard-like thing,” says picking up the piece of brown cardboard. “..and this cotton cloth, it’s soft because it is the one that will be touching your body so we don’t want it to burn you. You can get yourself a metre of cotton cloth at the other small shop and we shall count together how many pads it can make.”
Byaboona threads the needle and starts sewing, holding the items up for everyone to see as he sings some best-practice health tips, from personal hygiene through handling to accuracy and neatness for comfort, not forgetting proper storage.
As he concludes the demo, Byaboona acknowledges the clapping from his audience and then tells the club members it is time for each one to practice making one pad.
Explaining the purpose of each item that he shapes and raising it high for everyone to see, the humorous boy poses a question from time to time to confirm that the learners have understood.
“You all know why I am shaping this cardboard-like thing,” says picking up the piece of brown cardboard. “..and this cotton cloth, it’s soft because it is the one that will be touching your body so we don’t want it to burn you. You can get yourself a metre of cotton cloth at the other small shop and we shall count together how many pads it can make.”
Byaboona threads the needle and starts sewing, holding the items up for everyone to see as he sings some best-practice health tips, from personal hygiene through handling to accuracy and neatness for comfort, not forgetting proper storage.
As he concludes the demo, Byaboona acknowledges the clapping from his audience and then tells the club members it is time for each one to practice making one pad.
Byaboona is one of the young people who benefited from the school clubs training under the EYE Universal SRHR programme funded by the Government of Norway. The three-year programme aims at empowering young girls and women to decide over their own bodies and ensure universal access to comprehensive adolescent and youth friendly sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and services.
It envisions contributing towards ensuring that every adolescent and youth in two districts of Kamuli and Mayuge in Eastern Uganda, especially those furthest behind, have access to integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services and exercise reproductive rights, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.
The main goal is to reduce unintended pregnancies, teenage pregnancies and maternal deaths, and empower adolescents and young people, including those in hard-to-reach communities and those most at risk, to decide over their own bodies, make informed choices and utilize high quality, integrated SRHR information and services
“This club is playing a big role in sensitizing the parents and community elders. Whenever there is an occasion like visitation and open days, the club presents songs, poems and drama pieces with strong messages addressing perpetrators, promoting SRHR and empowerment,” said Mr.David Kisagwa, the School's Head Teacher.
“Engaging men and boys in promoting menstrual hygiene is not only human rights but also promotes gender equality and contributes to creating a society where women and girls are valued and supported,” he said.
Through the EYE Universal SRHR programme, 11,457 young girls and young people benefited from the MHM initiatives in Mayuge and Kamuli districts in 2024.
