News

When Eco Warriors Initiative Exposed a Hidden Crisis

Kirunda Nouhman - Kick Out Period Poverty

# When Eco Warriors Initiative Exposed a Hidden Crisis ## How Eco Warriors Initiative brought the reality of girls using soil as menstrual protection in Busoga to public attention Sometimes the most important stories are the ones that remain hidden. In communities across Busoga, girls were facing a deeply disturbing menstrual hygiene challenge. Unable to afford sanitary pads, some were resorting to whatever materials they could find to manage their periods. Among the most alarming practices was the use of **soil packed into plastic bags and improvised as menstrual protection**. For the girls experiencing it, this was not a choice. It was a desperate response to poverty, limited access to sanitary products and the lack of adequate menstrual hygiene support. For **Eco Warriors Initiative**, this was a community problem that could not remain hidden. We decided to bring the issue to public attention. ## A story that needed to be told Menstruation is often discussed quietly, and the challenges faced by girls can remain invisible to the wider public. But what was happening to girls in our communities was too serious to ignore. Girls were missing school, experiencing discomfort and embarrassment, and using unsafe and inappropriate materials because they could not afford proper menstrual products. The use of soil was particularly concerning. It represented how far menstrual poverty had pushed some girls — to the point where something that should never be considered menstrual protection was being used simply because there appeared to be no alternative. Eco Warriors Initiative recognised that **the first step toward addressing a problem is making sure people know that the problem exists.** We therefore began bringing the issue forward, documenting the experiences and drawing attention to what girls in our communities were going through. ## From a community concern to a wider public conversation What began as an issue affecting girls in our communities gradually became a much larger conversation. Our efforts helped bring visibility to a challenge that had largely been discussed behind closed doors. The issue eventually attracted the attention of **Daily Monitor**, which published the story *“Girls in Busoga turn to soil-made sanitary pads”* on February 8, 2024. The newspaper's report documented the experiences of girls in Busoga who were using soil and other improvised materials because their families could not afford conventional sanitary pads. The report also highlighted the physical and educational consequences of the problem. One student interviewed by the newspaper explained that she used soil and rugs and sometimes preferred staying away from school because of the discomfort. A clinical officer quoted in the report warned girls against using soil, rags and sponges in their private parts because of the potential health consequences. For Eco Warriors Initiative, seeing the issue receive national media attention was significant. It showed the power of **community voices and local organisations to bring overlooked problems into the national conversation.** ## We did not create the problem — we helped expose it It is important to make one thing clear: **Eco Warriors Initiative is not promoting soil-made sanitary pads.** Quite the opposite. We brought attention to the practice because we recognised it as evidence of a serious menstrual hygiene and poverty crisis affecting girls. The use of soil was a symptom of a much deeper problem — **girls were not consistently able to access safe, appropriate and affordable menstrual hygiene products.** Our role was to help expose this reality and ensure that the experiences of girls were not ignored. The national attention that followed demonstrated why community organisations matter. Organisations working directly with communities are often the first to see problems before they become national headlines. ## Why bringing the story to the public mattered If a problem remains hidden, it is difficult to mobilise the resources, policies and partnerships needed to address it. By bringing the issue into the public domain, Eco Warriors Initiative helped create an opportunity for: * Greater public awareness of menstrual poverty; * More discussion about girls' experiences during menstruation; * Greater attention from media and other stakeholders; * Conversations about the affordability and accessibility of sanitary products; * Increased recognition of the connection between menstruation and school attendance; and * Stronger calls for safe and dignified menstrual hygiene solutions. The *Daily Monitor* coverage helped demonstrate the scale and seriousness of the issue to a much wider audience. ## Behind the story are real girls At the centre of this issue are not statistics or headlines. There are girls. Girls who want to attend school. Girls who want to participate in class. Girls who want to play with their friends. Girls who should be able to manage their periods without fear, shame or pain. When a girl stays home because she does not have menstrual protection, she loses more than a day of school. Repeated interruptions can affect her confidence, participation and educational progress. That is why menstrual hygiene must be treated as an issue of **health, education, dignity and equality**. ## Giving communities a voice One of Eco Warriors Initiative's important roles is to listen to communities and bring issues that affect vulnerable people to the attention of those who have the power and resources to act. The story of girls using soil during menstruation is an example of what can happen when a local organisation refuses to remain silent. We listened. We saw the challenge. We raised the alarm. And the story reached a wider audience. The subsequent media attention showed that what was happening in our communities deserved national attention. ## The bigger challenge: menstrual poverty The soil story should not be viewed simply as a strange or shocking practice. It should make us ask a much more important question: **Why would a girl feel that using soil is her only option during menstruation?** The answer points us toward menstrual poverty. Families struggling with poverty may find it difficult to purchase sanitary pads every month. Schools may lack adequate facilities for girls to change menstrual materials privately and safely. Stigma can make it difficult for girls to ask for help. The *Daily Monitor* report similarly highlighted concerns about affordability, stigma and inadequate school facilities. These are the issues that need attention. ## From exposure to action For Eco Warriors Initiative, exposing the problem was only the beginning. The next step is action. We believe girls deserve access to safe menstrual hygiene products, accurate menstrual health information and supportive environments where they can manage their periods with dignity. We also believe that communities must be part of designing solutions to the challenges they face. The experience has strengthened our commitment to community-based advocacy and to ensuring that issues affecting vulnerable girls are heard beyond the communities where they originate. ## Our message The story of soil-made menstrual pads is not a story we want to see repeated. It is a reminder of what happens when girls do not have access to safe and affordable menstrual protection. Eco Warriors Initiative brought this issue to the public because **silence was not an option**. We believe that community organisations have an important responsibility to identify emerging challenges, amplify the voices of affected communities and connect local realities with national conversations. The attention that followed showed that a story originating in a community can reach far beyond that community when someone is willing to speak up. ### We saw it. We raised it. The nation listened. The girls of Busoga deserve more than emergency responses. They deserve dignity. They deserve safety. They deserve access to proper menstrual hygiene products. And they deserve to remain in school without menstruation becoming a barrier to their education. **Eco Warriors Initiative will continue to listen, speak up and work with communities to ensure that challenges affecting girls do not remain hidden.**