sarahforde's blog

Our goal was (and maybe still is?) a simple one: make affordable sanitary pads available to more girls in East Africa, starting with Kilifi in coast province, Kenya.  That is where MTG is based and that is where we have seen the problem of girls feeling embarrassed, shy, uncomfortable and hindered when they have their periods becuase they cannot afford to buy sanitary pads.  Instead they use cloth, cotton wool, pieces of mattress or anything they can find to soak up the blood.  It impacts on their school and home lives and it also stops some of them from playing sport. 

Most staff in MTG are already on leave after the planning meeting for January and the end of year party - a great event on the beach at the Baobab hotel.  I had planned to make a small thank you speech to all staff and board members but once the music was on (Bango all the way) there was no turning back.  The girls stopped swinging their thangs only long enough to receive their end of year presents in a flurry of cheering and exuberance and then it was back to the serious issue of dancing.  The fashion show topped off proceedings - with professionalism from the Nigerian Three

Hmm. I had promised myself I'd update this blog once a week and failed to do so in only the second week. Not a good start, but I had an excuse.  Kenya's minister of gender was coming to Moving the Goalposts as the guest of honour at our championship finals and to launch my book, Playing by Their Rules, available at http://www.createspace.com/3376110.