Despite the remarkable increases in access at both primary and secondary schools due to government directive that every girl child should be provided with free sanitary pads, the government has now been urged to let the project be managed by women representative under the new affirmative action development funds.
The immediate former founder member of the Pastoral Girl’s Initiative (PGI), Fatuma Kinsi now wants funds meant for sanitary towels in the Ministry of Education to be channelled through the affirmative action social development fund.
Kinsi said the Ministry of Education has several kitties to take care of and procurement of the sanitary towels takes too long and if left for the women representative the sanitary towels will reach all the girls at a given time.
Kinsi who is aspiring to be the Garissa women representative said it's difficult to manage a girls school especially in arid and semi-arid areas when they lack sanitary that lead to absenteeism and subsequently in the national examination.
Statistics show that over one million children are out of school in primary schools. Majority of these are in ASAL areas, pockets of poverty and urban slums and a big proportion of that percentage are girls. Kinsi further urged other sponsors to support the programme because it will be too costly for the government and most of the parents are vulnerable.
She also called on the Garissa County Assembly to pass a bill that will compel the county government to supply sanitary towels to all girls' school throughout the year.
In 2014/15 financial year sh4 billion was allocated to the women representative kitty through the devolution ministry where each constituency was to receive approximately sh7 million each.
The social development fund targets women, youth and people' living with disability and is chaired by former nominated MP, Sophia Noor.