Karla Vargas is committed to empowering her daughter and other young girls throughout the Trojes region of Honduras.
Karla, a Health Promoter with PWW in Honduras, knows what it means to be fearful and miss school every month due to a lack of knowledge and tools for managing her menstrual cycle. Today, Karla teaches hygiene courses to teachers, parents and girls.
“When I was in primary school, I first heard about menstruation from my teacher because it was in the Honduran curriculum; but the information was really superficial and I didn’t understand the message. So, when my first period came, it was a big astonishment and concerned me. I thought that my parents would punish me. I thought that it was happening from something bad I had done. I went to my mom with fear. She assured me that it was normal and happens to all women.
During my menstruation as a young girl, I did not leave my house for the entire week. I didn’t go to school. I didn’t know how to manage the blood flow and not stain my clothes. I didn’t know about sanitary pads. I used old cloths.
There is no need for girls to worry about their cycle. They should not have to hide themselves every month. Yet, still today, in the communities near Trojes, neither the teachers nor the mothers educate the girls about menstruation.
I am committed to changing that. Through PWW’s hygiene education program, I am teaching young girls, their teachers and their families about menstruation. I want girls to know it is a normal part of life. Through this program, they learn the information and gain the tools to safely and comfortably manage their cycles, giving them the freedom to go about their days and to stay in school.
I feel really happy that there are people in the world willing to help finance this kind of program. Thank you, from all the young girls of Trojes.”
May 28th is Menstrual Hygiene Day. Make a donation that empowers girls*. DONATE NOW. To learn more about this special day dedicated to breaking the silence and building awareness, click here.
*Please indicate on donation that it is for menstrual hygiene for girls in Honduras.