{"id":940,"date":"2026-05-28T14:38:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.magalen.org\/m\/?p=940"},"modified":"2026-05-28T14:38:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:38:40","slug":"500-girls-three-schools-one-big-change-how-mcs-is-keeping-girls-in-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.magalen.org\/m\/500-girls-three-schools-one-big-change-how-mcs-is-keeping-girls-in-class\/","title":{"rendered":"500 girls, three schools, one big change: how MCS is keeping girls in class"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Magola Sub County, menstruation is a reason to stay home from school. With sanitary pads costing up to $1.40 a packet \u2014 more than most families earn in a day \u2014 girls miss an average of three days of school every month. Since 2012, adolescent girl absenteeism has climbed from 7% to 28%. Behind every statistic is a girl whose future is being quietly eroded.<\/p>\n

Magalen Community Services is working to change that.<\/p>\n

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Changing room built in Nambogo primary school<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The problem<\/strong><\/p>\n

Girls in Magola Sub County face a perfect storm of barriers. They cannot afford sanitary pads. They have no clean, private space to change at school. They have never been taught about menstruation or how to manage it safely. When the only options are staying home, using dirty rags, or exchanging sex for money to buy pads, too many girls choose the one that feels safest \u2014 they simply don’t go to school.<\/p>\n

The long term consequences are devastating. Girls who miss school fall behind, lose confidence, and eventually drop out altogether. A girl who drops out of school is more likely to marry young, less likely to earn her own income, and less able to make decisions about her own life.<\/p>\n

What MCS did this year<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year MCS reached 500 girls across three primary schools \u2014 Magola, Nambogo, and Pajangango \u2014 with a package of support that addresses every part of the problem.<\/p>\n

We distributed factory-made sanitary pads so girls could stay in school immediately. We built dedicated changing rooms at Nambogo and Magola primary schools \u2014 safe, private spaces that didn’t exist before. We trained teachers and pupils in all three schools to make their own reusable sanitary pads from locally sourced materials: cotton cloth, polythene paper, needle, thread and button. And we trained senior women teachers in reproductive health so girls have someone they can talk to.<\/p>\n

The changing room at Magola Primary School was officially opened on 28th February 2025 by Mr. and Mrs. Iain Patton \u2014 a milestone moment for the school and the community.<\/p>\n

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Official opening of changing room in Magola Primary School by Mr. and Mrs. Iain Patton on 28th<\/sup> Feb 2025<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Why reusable pads matter<\/strong><\/p>\n

Factory-made pads solve the immediate problem but they are not sustainable \u2014 families still cannot afford them month after month. Teaching girls and teachers to make reusable pads from cheap local materials is the long term solution. Once a school has this skill, it can keep producing pads indefinitely at almost no cost. The knowledge stays in the community forever.<\/p>\n

We need your support<\/strong><\/p>\n

Due to lack of funds, not all of the planned activities were completed this year. MCS is actively seeking funding to:<\/p>\n