PAD A DADA INITIATIVE
About Us
Pad a Dada is an initiative that started in the year 2014 with the sole aim of helping girls in Kilifi County get sanitary towels during their menstrual cycle. We realized that the lack of this monthly basic need led to girls missing out of school. Some even missed school for as long as 3 months.
Pad ADada Female students face great challenges in terms of hygiene and sanitation. Many schools in Kilifi County have insufficient numbers of latrines that are often poorly designed and maintained. For girls who are menstruating, these problems compound the difficulties posed by the inability to afford sanitary towels as well as cultural taboos around menstruation. As a result, many girls miss on average four days of school every month, which is over a month in a year, meaning they fall behind in class and sometimes even drop out of school altogether. This is an added challenge to the already existing problems that lead to the high dropout rate of female students in primary and secondary schools in the country.
Kilifi county is among the slightly marginalized counties with many people facing poverty. As a result, many girls also drop out of school and their sexual debut is early. Sexual abuse and gender-based violence is rife in the county. Due to poverty, many girls engage in sexual acts for favors and money to purchase sanitary towels while some engage in sexual trafficking.
Advocacy Focus Areas
Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights
Girl Child Education
Our Leader
Peteronilla Maria Nzomo
The single most important challenge facing Kenya today is the grip of poverty. This is characterized by growing number of HIV/AIDS orphans, unemployment, child labor and violence. Of this population, girls and women of all ages continue to be the greatest victims. A lot can be done to stop this.