Partnerships

DfG Ghana partners with a variety of local groups in and NGO’s, learn more about our most recent partnerships here.

One Girl Reusable Pads Pilot 2018 

One Girl partnered with Days for Girls (DfG). DfG collaborates with the INGO Schools for Salone – who in turn have a partnership with local implementer Programme for Children – to produce reusable pads kits. As part of the pilot to trial reusable pads, two community LaunchPad groups were given reusable pads kits to sell within their communities, and all 300 One Girl scholars were given reusable pad kits to trial.

The trial of the reusable pads in the community groups was complemented by training developed by DfG and supported by One Girl and Programme for Children on SRHR and how to use the reusable pads. In these two communities, safe water sources were ensured through the construction of wells with hand-pumps by local NGO partner SLSAV. One Girl scholars also received some training on how to use the reusable pads

The objectives of the pilot test included:

  • To trial innovative and environmentally sustainable solutions to MHM in Sierra Leonean communities.
  • To improve the content of knowledge gained through LaunchPad by integrating it with WASH and focusing on SRHR and environmental sustainability.
  • To influence national policy on sustainable WASH and MHM practices through advocacy and the creation of innovative and engaging solutions to the issue.

Highlights

  • 32% of recipients found pads hard to maintain and difficult to wash. This is largely because 40% were unable to access water easily
  • The pads were overall noted as comfortable to wear though some commented on the size/shape of the pad leaving them feeling concerned about leakages.
  • The concept of a reusable pad wasn’t an issue, rather access to water ultimately was a barrier and reason for participants discontinuing after one use.
  • Community of Porta (and in SL) still considers talking about menstruation as taboo
  • Respondents would use reusables over disposables
  • Wear time capped at 3 hours

Recommendations

  • In communities without access to water, alternative products that use little to no water are preferred
  • Manufacture a pad with ability to wear for longer periods of time

 

WaterAID 2020

WaterAid Ghana in 2020 collaborated with Days for Girls Ghana to undertake a Menstrual Health and Hygiene Project in the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.

The objectives of the project included:

-Promoting menstrual health management awareness

-Addressing environmental hygiene as it pertains to MHM and WASH

-Establishing long-term solutions to the menstrual hygiene needs of women and girls in the Kassena Nankana West District (Upper East Region)

-Enhancing livelihoods of women and girls in the Kassena Nankana West Districts (Upper East Region) and provision of Monitoring Evaluation and  lessons to support future MHM interventions undertaken by WaterAid Ghana.

The project was successfully implemented with the target beneficiaries receiving training in Menstrual Health and hygiene using the DfG Ambassador of Women’s Health Manual and the Men Who Know Manual. Two enterprises were set up as part of the deliverables with the target beneficiaries taken through the DfG  Leadership Launchpad Training. The training is also in Business, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Skills.

International Day of the Girl, 2020

The International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated annually on 11th October. The day’s activities sought to promote girl’s empowerment and fulfillment of their human rights whilst highlighting the challenges that girls all over the world face. This year’s theme, “My Voice, Our Equal Future’’ offered DfG Ghana a unique opportunity to collaborate with the Naa Adoley Foundation to organize community outreach targeted at adolescent girls and women in the Kisseman/Achimota area.

Naa Adoley Foundation, a community based, non-governmental organization that empowers adolescent girls. The objective of the activity was to educate participants on Menstrual Hygiene Management, Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and Bodily Integrity.

New menstruators were educated on adolescence and puberty, female and male reproductive systems including personal hygiene. DfGG kits were distributed followed by kit care education.

Be In School Everyday Project with Madison Rotary Club

Days for Girls with funding from Rotary club of Madison, USA in its third year of program intervention in the four districts in the Central Region chalked important milestones. The year 2020 ended with Menstrual Health school clubs being formed in 90 schools, 6,000 DfG Kits distributed to girls in participating schools, 90 teachers trained to serve as Year one focused on distribution of 1,500 DFG kits, Menstrual Health Club patrons and strategies implemented for Parental engagement. This year saw the development of experimental, student-centered training materials for teachers to be used in training girls and boys in the 90 targeted junior high schools to help engage students in and reinforce learning as part of the school club activities. 

In the third quarter of the year, a two-day training for School Health Education Program (SHEP) or Girl Child Coordinators (GCC) from each of the schools was held in the participating districts with a total attendance of 107 teachers and school leaderships. A total of 107 GCC attended from Effutu, Ekumfi, Gomoa Central and Agona East Districts. Rotary Club of Madison also funded the distribution of 8,000 DFG kits menstrual hygiene kits to the 90 schools in the 4 districts throughout the year with a one-day booster training for teachers in each of the 90 schools held in the last quarter of the year. Days for Girls Ghana also distributed materials (buckets, liquid soap) for hand-washing stations at each of the 90 schools as part of COVID-19 prevention support.