Our work in Uganda in 2024

December 2024

Many teenage girls in Uganda miss school for several days during their menstruation because they do not have the sanitary pads or tampons that girls and women in the rich world take for granted. That has consequences: they fall behind in their lessons, and may drop out of school altogether. Their lower educational achievements will accompany them throughout their lives, restricting the types of jobs they can get and keeping their incomes low. In Uganda as a whole, nearly a quarter of girls between the ages of 12 and 18 miss school when they start menstruating.

Glocal Lifelearn is helping girls in Bukedea, Uganda, fight this “period poverty” by providing them with washable, reusable sanitary pads and panties. These items are made by students of tailoring at the BUYOPA training centre in Bukedea, in eastern Uganda. Each of the 400 girls at BUYOPA receives a set of three or four pads and panties, along with information about sanitation and menstrual hygiene.

Our “Pro Period” initiative has received a donation of €2,700 from the IFAD Staff Help Fund of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, a United Nations agency in Rome. The money will enable the production of around 1,500 sanitary pads and help raise awareness about sanitation and menstrual hygiene.

Tailoring teachers and students making reusable sanitary panties

99.4% of our expenses went into the education of young people

In 2024, Glocal Lifelearn invested a total of over €28,000 in the education of young people in Uganda. Approximately three-quarters of the funds were allocated to sponsorships, while the remaining quarter was distributed between vocational training and awareness about menstruation. Thanks to the generous support of our 52 donors, we were able to cover the school fees for 62 students (29 girls and 33 boys), with 14 of them attending boarding school. Additionally, we were able to finance the vocational training of 25 students and the Pro Period initiative.

We are able to keep our costs low because we are all volunteers. However, our NGO, Glocal LifeLearn, is facing a deficit of about €4000, mainly because we have been asked to pay for additional boarding school fees, especially for the girls, so that they can be kept away from domestic problems and can concentrate on their studies, and don’t have to walk long distances to school.

Oliver together with teachers and students of the BUYOPA training centre holding period panties

Board member visit to Uganda

During a business trip to Uganda in September, Oliver Mundy, one of our board members, had the opportunity to visit the schools Glocal Lifelearn supports there. He met with 41 students and the caregivers and parents of five students under our sponsorship programme. He also met with the director and staff from the Buyopa training centre and visited the premises. Oliver was pleased to see that the majority of students were doing well and attending school. But he also saw that many families were experiencing financial difficulties.

Oliver meeting primary (left) and secondary (right) students supported by the Lifeline Uganda programme

Supporting girls

We are focusing on supporting girls because we see them struggling when they hit their teens. The challenges are significant: early pregnancies, financial pressures, and lack of resources often force girls to leave school. Tragically, we have seen cases of girls dropping out or running away. Through initiatives like Pro Period, we aim to break this cycle, empowering girls to stay in school and build a brighter future.

Help us to support education in Uganda

Pro Period is one part of the support we offer to help young people in Uganda build a brighter future. Make a real difference:

We and our partners work on a voluntary basis. This year, 99% of our expenses went directly into our three educational projects.

Donate now

Alternatively, you can transfer your donation via direct bank transfer:

Name of bank: VR-Bank Bergisch Gladbach
BIC: GENODEDIPAF
IBAN: DE34370626003802529014