Girls in rural Ghana are usually forced to miss school about 5 days every month because they can’t afford basic menstrual hygiene products. This negatively affects their self-confidence and performance in school.
Sarah Boateng lived in a village in Ghana where she witnessed the challenges girls faced in accessing affordable menstrual hygiene products. She founded IGEA to eradicate menstrual poverty and promote equal access to education for girls in rural Ghana.
“Quality education can make a long-term impact on a community and girls should not be left behind.”
Sarah Boateng
Investing in Girls Education in Africa (IGEA) advocates for investment in quality education for girls living in rural Ghana. Through the Menstruate and Educate Programme, IGEA has been working with schools in Bolgatanga, Northern Ghana distributing reusable sanitary pads and reading materials on menstrual hygiene to girls. IGEA also engages parents, teachers and community leaders through workshops on menstruation and related taboos, as well as addressing the importance of girls’ education.
IGEA is among nineteen other organisations that are currently enrolled on the Youth Ventures Programme (YVP). Through the YVP, QCT provides youth-led organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and technical support, and access to a global network of young leaders for 2+ years.
With QCT’s support since March 2022 IGEA has been able to:
IGEA has been able to:
Acquire and distribute over 3500 reusable pads reducing monthly school absenteeism from 5 to 2 days for 1160+ girls in rural Ghana
Sensitise over 650 parents and teachers on prohibitive cultural taboos around menstrual health
Train 12 women to produce reusable pads, creating an additional income stream for them
“Resources provided by QCT including BetterUp coaching, and trainings have helped me in becoming a better young leader.”
Sarah Boateng
Future work supported by QCT in 2023:
IGEA aims to train more women to produce the reusable sanitary pads and stock them in local stores. IGEA will further enhance trained women’s entrepreneurship skills to increase sales and revenues from reusable sanitary pads.
