West Nile Queen Champions Support for “Pad a Girl” Campaign

Zombo: Patricia Jane Alobo, the Queen of West Nile, is rallying widespread support for her upcoming “Pad a Girl” marathon in Arua City, scheduled for May 2025.

The initiative seeks to address menstrual health challenges and promote educational retention among girls in the region.

“To maximize our impact, I’m hosting the Arua City Pad a Girl Run in May 2025 a landmark event designed to raise both awareness and funds to enhance menstrual health management and sustain girls’ education,” Alobo announced.

The campaign focuses on raising resources to train girls in crafting reusable sanitary pads, a sustainable solution that Alobo believes will reduce school absenteeism.

She emphasized that many girls in West Nile abandon their education, particularly during menstruation, due to inadequate access to menstrual hygiene products.

“In West Nile, countless children face significant barriers to staying in school. Having witnessed the devastating effects of school dropouts, teenage pregnancies, child marriages, substance abuse, and substandard learning environments, I felt compelled to act,” Alobo shared.

Marathon kits are now available at an affordable rate, making participation accessible to all who wish to contribute.

A June 2024 report by Auditor General Edward Akol to Parliament underscored the severity of the issue, revealing that 64% of female students miss classes due to a lack of menstrual pads, clean water, and proper waste disposal facilities in schools.

The Value for Money Audit, which evaluated the government’s efforts through the Ministry of Education to support menstrual health and hygiene in primary and secondary schools (both public and private), exposed a troubling lack of commitment to establishing adequate sanitation infrastructure.

It also highlighted parental shortcomings in providing sufficient menstrual supplies. Key contributing factors include the absence of menstrual hygiene materials and the failure of District Local Governments to prioritize water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools.

Alobo, who ascended to the West Nile Queen throne in 2024, launched her “Stay in School” campaign in 2023 to address these challenges.

“The Stay in School Campaign is a mentorship program aimed at equipping students with knowledge and support to navigate critical issues affecting their education and well-being,” she explained.

Alongside a team of experts, she has visited schools such as Pakhada Seed Secondary School, Warr Girls Secondary School, Aluka Secondary School, Oringi Secondary School, St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, and Agenda Girls, striving to ensure every student recognizes the value of education and receives the support needed to complete their studies.

In 2024, recognizing the urgent need to tackle menstrual health, Alobo launched the “Pad a Girl” campaign to destigmatize menstruation, combat period poverty, and break the silence surrounding it.

Through educational “period talks” and skills training, she aims to ensure that no girl misses school due to a lack of menstrual products.

The campaign plans to expand across all West Nile districts, with Moyo and Adjumani in the Madi sub-region as the next targets.

According to the World Health Organization, menstrual health and hygiene are vital to the well-being and empowerment of over 300 million women and adolescent girls who menstruate daily worldwide.

Alobo remains hopeful that the May 2025 marathon, set to take place at the OPM grounds in Arua City, will address some of the entrenched challenges with far-reaching consequences for adolescents.

“We must champion this campaign. Our goal is to promote girls’ retention in school, with funds raised supporting training in reusable sanitary pad production,” she asserted.

Experts emphasize that effective menstrual hygiene management requires access to WASH facilities, affordable and appropriate menstrual products, and a supportive environment free from stigma or embarrassment—elements sorely lacking in West Nile.

“This isn’t a solitary effort. I urge the business community to join us in creating lasting change by supporting this cause as part of your corporate social responsibility,” Alobo appealed.

Mary Manano, headteacher of Lwala Primary School in Warr Town Council, recently told this publication that the dropout rate among girls due to a lack of sanitary pads is alarming. She attributed the crisis to “inadequate parental support” and called on parents and stakeholders to intervene.

Maculate Adubango, a teacher at Oturgang Boys Primary School in Paidha Town Council, noted that many girls are compelled to leave school during their menstrual cycles due to the absence of basic necessities.

Alobo has urged everyone, including political leaders, to step up to the plate.

“Your leadership inspires the youth. Stand with us to advocate for education and safe learning environments,” she said.

Menstrual hygiene management involves the use of clean, absorbent materials to manage menstrual flow, access to private changing spaces, and facilities with water, soap, and disposal options.

“Our recent campaigns have uncovered shocking realities,” Alobo revealed. “Many schools in West Nile lack even basic amenities. Some have no latrines, forcing students to learn in unhygienic conditions.”

She pointed to Liria Primary School in Terego District as an example, questioning, “How can we expect these children to thrive in such dire circumstances?”

Alobo calls on leaders to prioritize education by ensuring schools have proper infrastructure and clean, safe environments, stressing that every student deserves an inclusive and supportive learning space.

Academic studies consistently identify poor menstrual hygiene management as a primary cause of absenteeism among girls, citing insufficient sanitary pads, inadequate disposal systems, stigma, teasing (often by boys), and the lack of water and separate sanitation facilities in schools.

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