Our Girls Club: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures in Rural Zambia

In rural Munyama, menarche — a girl's first period — is still widely misread as a sign that she is ready for marriage. The consequences are devastating: girls as young as twelve are pulled from school, robbing them of an education and a future they deserve. The root cause, we discovered, is not malice but a combination of misinformation and poverty. Families cannot afford sanitary products. Girls miss a week of school every month. Over time, the absences accumulate until dropping out seems inevitable.

Our Girls Club was designed to break that cycle — from the inside out.

Making a Pad, Reclaiming a Future

Every session of the Girls Club begins with the practical: participants learn to sew reusable, washable sanitary pads from locally available cotton fabric. The pads are durable, hygienic, and cost nothing once made. For many girls, it is the first time they have held a needle — a small skill that carries enormous symbolic weight. They are solving their own problem, with their own hands.

By the end of the programme, each participant has a set of six reusable pads that will last through years of school. The immediate barrier to attendance is removed.

Girls' Talk: Safe Conversations

But the Club goes beyond the practical. Our "Girls' Talk" sessions create a safe, facilitated space where participants can ask questions they have never been able to ask at home or in class — about their bodies, about relationships, about their rights. Trained female facilitators lead discussions that are honest, age-appropriate, and grounded in respect.

Topics covered include:

• Puberty and reproductive health
• Understanding consent and personal boundaries
• The legal age of marriage in Zambia (21 without parental consent)
• Pathways to secondary and tertiary education
• Goal-setting and self-advocacy

The Numbers So Far

Since the Girls Club launched in Munyama in 2023:

• 64 girls have completed the full programme.
• School attendance among participants improved by an estimated 22% in the months following the programme, based on community follow-up surveys.
• Zero early marriages have been recorded among alumni since the programme began — though we acknowledge this is a community-level observation, not a controlled study.

A Word from a Participant

"Before the Club, I used to stay home when I had my period because I had nothing to use. Now I never miss. And I know that I can go to secondary school — that is what I want."
— Girls Club participant, aged 14, Munyama Primary School

Get Involved

The Girls Club costs approximately $12 per participant to run, covering materials, facilitator time, and follow-up support. If you would like to sponsor a girl's participation, or donate supplies, please visit our Get Involved page.