The grounds of Musiingini Primary School were vibrant with energy and hope as the Peter Uplift Charity Foundation hosted this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day celebrations, drawing over 2,000 girls from across Yatta Sub-county. The event, led by the foundation’s founder and CEO Peter Musya, was a remarkable moment of education, empowerment, and advocacy for the girl child.
Learners from various schools, including Sofia Primary with 350 pupils, Sofia Academy, Kaukini Comprehensive School, Mukaalala Primary, and Small Angels School, gathered for a day filled with impactful engagement. Each girl received sanitary pads, a small yet powerful gesture that underscored the foundation’s message: no girl should suffer indignity or miss school because of her period.
In his passionate address, Peter Musya emphasized the urgent need to protect the rights of the girl child, especially in the face of rising cases of early teenage pregnancies. He said the community must come together to ensure that every girl has the support and knowledge she needs to stay in school and realize her potential. Musya warned that a society that fails its girls fails its future, urging schools, families, and governments to act decisively.
He called on the local government to collaborate with grassroots organizations like Peter Uplift to bridge the gap for girls who remain underserved and vulnerable. Musya argued that menstrual hygiene should not be viewed as a luxury, but as a basic human right that must be upheld by both public and private actors.
The day also featured mentorship sessions, where young girls were guided on how to dream boldly and pursue their career goals with confidence. The foundation’s team educated the girls on menstrual health and their sexual and reproductive health rights, equipping them with information that is often left out of the classroom.
A local children’s officer attending the event echoed Musya’s sentiments, urging parents to report any cases of child neglect and abuse. He stressed that children should not be raised in institutions alone but in environments where both family and structured care complement each other. He noted that research consistently shows that such balanced upbringing offers the best outcomes for a child’s growth.
Peter Uplift Charity Foundation, beyond its menstrual health programs, has remained active in mentoring the youth and advocating against early marriages and teenage pregnancies. Musya’s team has continually stressed that the fight for the dignity and education of the girl child must be relentless and community-driven.
As the day wound down and the girls returned to their schools, their hands full of supplies and their hearts full of hope, one message from Peter Musya lingered powerfully in the air: empowering girls today guarantees a stronger, healthier, and more just society tomorrow.
