On Saturday 2nd July, the Ladies Wing of the BAPS Charities visited Rafiki AIDS Academy in Nderi, Kikuyu and Dada’s Community and Education Centre in Kawangware, Dagoretti. The ladies donated sanitary napkins, dresses, food items, and milk packets to both centres.
Generally, talking about women’s menstruation is frowned upon, thus sanitary products are not donated to shelters as often. Objects such as water, toothbrushes and food are donated so frequently they hardly ever run out, but, feminine products, are often forgotten about. For girls who do have access to these supplies, periods are a nuisance. For them, these times of the month extremely inconvenient where they are unable to attend classes or get out of bed in some cases.
Rafiki AIDS Academy houses 75 children including 43 girls who have been orphaned by HIV positive parents. Children are between 2-18 years and many have been living there since the academy opened in 2006 by Reverend John Nganga. In addition, the academy educates another 75 children from the nearby areas with free education and life skills such as farming, cooking and personal hygiene. The academy runs a nursery programme as well as a full primary and secondary curriculum. Recently, some students have been sent to university to pursue Engineering and Medical Sciences with the intention of coming back and helping their peers.
Dada’s Community Centre has 135 orphans with 50 living permanently at the centre including 22 girls. They have a nursery and a full primary school for the 135 students. BAPS Charities has previously supported Dadas by donating textbooks and other items.
The BAPS Charities Ladies Wing shall continue to support these homes and other institutions with regular donations of feminine hygiene products as part of it’s Women’s Empowerment Initiative.
