Centenary Bank, URCS donate over 500 reusable sanitary pads to schools in Kampala

By Ben Musanje

5^th April 2022

Centenary Bank in partnership with the Uganda Red Cross Society-URCS has donated over 500 re-usable sanitary pads to school girls from vulnerable communities in Makindye division, Kampala district as part of the Keep-A-Girl-In-School –KAGIS initiative.

KAGIS initiative was launched in March 2019 by URCS in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports and partners with the aim of improving Menstrual Health Management among Primary and Secondary School going adolescents and young women across the country.

The beneficiary schools are St. Ponsiano Primary School Kyamula along Salaama road and St. Mary’s Primary School – Kibuye in Makindye division.

Speaking during the handover event at St. Ponsiano Primary School, the Centenary Bank Executive Director Joseph Balikuddembe explained that they have injected in 10 million shillings to procure sanitary pads for both schools with their aim of controlling the number of girl children dropping out of schools due to inaccessibility of sanitary towels.

Robert Kwesiga, the URCS Secretary General says they are mobilizing funds amounting to at least 500 million shillings as first starter of producing these pads in this very year in order to sustain the KAGIS initiative and also equip the girl child with skills of pads production.

Hellen Amolo Eteru, the Head teacher of St. Ponsiano Primary School Kyamula, noted that they haven’t registered any impregnated girl child and any dropout since the reopening of institutions of learning.

St. Ponsiano Primary school which is a Catholic founded school has 1442 students among whom, 769 are girls and 673 are boys.