The BASIZANA Project

Bringing an End to Menstrual Absenteeism

Menstruation Should Not Be A Barrier To Education

The name ‘Basizana’ celebrates “young women coming of age” in the Lozi tribe and has befittingly been chosen as the name of this project because we believe that young women should not have to feel burdened with the natural coming of age due to their economic status.

On average, girls in underserved rural communities miss about 10% of school days annually due to a lack of menstrual supplies. This issue is worse in some villages where girls miss up to 20% of school, often missing exams or performing poorly as a result of their absenteeism during their period. The Basizana Project aims to address this issue by providing sustainable menstrual supplies to girls in rural areas of Zambia attending high school, thus eliminating menstrual absenteeism in the school.

CHALLENGE

Menstrual absenteeism is a problem for schoolgirls in rural Zambia, who are set 145 days behind their fellow male students due absenteeism during their period. This has had a negative impact on their academic performance, with some dropping out due to missed or failed exams. Thus, leading to early pregnancies and child marriages, for girls that have dropped out of school.

SOLUTION

The Basizana project has partnered with menstrual cup and re-usable pad manufacturers to provide sustainable menstrual supplies and menstrual health training to rural girls across Zambia, beginning with girls in Mkushi of Central Province and Limulunga district of Western Province.

LONG-TERM IMPACT

The project will impact over 1000 girls annually, allowing them to rise out of period poverty, one school at a time. Through the supply of sustainable menstrual cups and reusable pads, each girl will be sustained for 5-10 years allowing them to finish secondary school without the limitations of period poverty, thus reducing menstrual absenteeism to 0%.

How Can You Help?

The Basizana Project is a charity initiative that is driven by the generosity of our supporters. We heavily rely on donations to raise the funds required to purchase and distribute menstrual supplies to the girls in need. As such, we have partnered with Global Giving to digitally crowdfund the project.

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