education 4 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Nebbi District Launches Reusable Pads Initiative to Reduce Girls' School Dropouts
Nebbi District leaders have rolled out 15,748 reusable sanitary pads to 112 schools, aiming to improve girls' attendance and curb dropouts linked to menstrual challenges. The World Vision program, funded by the Netherlands Embassy, targets over 35,000 learners amid calls for sustainability and addressing broader dropout causes. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/nebbi-rolls-out-reusable-pads-to-curb-girls-school-dropout-5446236
Leaders in Nebbi District have initiated a distribution of reusable sanitary pads to primary and secondary schools to enhance girls’ attendance and lower dropout rates.
The program will deliver 15,748 pads to 103 government-aided primary schools and nine secondary schools, reaching approximately 35,000 students.
At the launch event, Deputy Resident District Commissioner Paul Bwire emphasized breaking cultural barriers around menstrual hygiene. He noted that many girls from Primary Four to Five lack awareness of body changes, contributing to a national dropout rate of about 30 percent, exacerbated by pad shortages.
The four-year PROTECT-SRHR initiative, run by World Vision with funding from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, spans West Nile districts including Pakwach, Nebbi, Maracha, Koboko, and Terego. It targets learners from Primary Four to Five and Senior One to Four, with Shs 398 million spent on procurement.
Program manager Paddy Tumwesigye confirmed annual free distributions to sustain the effort.
Nebbi District Education Officer Innocent Openjtho advocated for training girls in pad-making for long-term impact, rather than just handouts.
Parent Bosco Okende acknowledged the pad issue but highlighted excessive school fees—often over Shs 30,000 per child—as a major barrier for low-income families with multiple students, urging government action on illegal charges.