Beyond the Facepalm: A Quick Look at Our Menstrual & Reproductive Health Success

JJulie-Anne Savarit-Cosenza
Co-founder & Executive Director
African Education Program

The🤦‍♀️facepalm emoji didn’t exist in 2007. If it had at the time, I know it’s exactly what I would have used when I found out that one quarter of the young women in our inaugural cohort of students at the Learning & Leadership Center in Kafue, Zambia had become pregnant within a few months. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

So you can imagine why, today, we are so proud that less than 2% of the young women at the Center become pregnant. 🙌🙌🙌 This is compared to 15–20% still becoming pregnant locally in Kafue.

We are equally proud that 92% of our young women feel comfortable managing their periods thanks to the reusable menstrual products that are distributed at the Center.

It’s been a privilege to be a part of developing the menstrual and reproductive health programming at the Center over the years. In blogs to come, we will explore that development, how learning and adaptation have become critical components of these programs, and the African Education Program’s continued role in strengthening the capacity of the Learning & Leadership Center’s team. But with the year-end holidays closely approaching and everyone’s minds in need of a break, I thought this week I’d keep it simple and share with you some of my favorite photos of our menstrual and reproductive health work over the years.

2007: We take a break from organizing the library to talk about “girls’ stuff.” I also have fond memories of facilitating sessions with bananas and condoms!

2010: Our suitcases would be full of disposable pads which would cram the storage closet at the Learning & Leadership Center. Sometimes we would have pad pyramid making contests.

2019: We begin to distribute reusable menstrual pads instead of the disposable ones for a more sustainable and ecofriendly solution. I get to participate in a training where the young women from the Center learn to sew their own pads.

Today: The young women not only have access to reusable pads, but to period underwear and reusable menstrual cups!

I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to the program partners who have played an instrumental role in making this year’s menstrual and reproductive health work a resounding success. We owe a special thanks to Hologic Philanthropy, Saalt, USAID Youth Excel and IREX.

Together, we are making a significant difference in the lives of countless individuals, and I look forward to continuing this journey of empowerment and transformation. 💕💕💕