Female students at Phweremwe primary school used to face the problem of lacking changing room. The deputy head teacher at the school, Grena Kuntaja, said that most of the female students used to abscond classes when they were on period stage.
“This absenteeism used to make them miss a lot of class lessons that made most of them not perform well in class,” said Kuntaja
Through the Girls Get Equal project with funding from Norad through Plan Internation Malawi, Creative Centre for Community Mobilization (CRECCOM) trained them on inclusive construction, and rehabilitation.
After the training, Phweremwe primary school’s management committee made their action plan to have a change room for their female students to reduce absenteeism at the school.
The deputy head teacher said that they asked the female students for a better place where they can establish the changing room and they opted for the changing room to be a safe place.
Female students going to the changing room
“The female students said that the changing should be located near their toilets to ensure that privacy is achieved,” said Kuntaja
Grace Muthiwa, 13, from standard 5 at the school said that she used to be absent from school when she could be experiencing her period.
“I am now able to come to school even when I am on my period knowing that there is a changing room at the school,” said Muthiwa