Human and Hope Association

Menstrual Hygiene Project

Menstrual Hygiene Project

This program provides 500 young Cambodian girls with a safe and hygienic menstrual kit, enabling them to manage their periods with ease. They also attend an interactive workshop on the benefits of using the kit, cleaning, and drying techniques, and the potential risks associated with single-use pads. Each kit includes three reusable cloth menstrual pads, ...

GOAL

$16,350

International > National / Multi-state
09/01/2024 > 30/11/2024

Field of Interest

  • Community and economic development
  • Health/wellbeing and medical research
  • International aid and development
  • Women and Girls

Target Population

  • Women and girls
  • People experiencing socio-economic disadvantage or vulnerability
Human and Hope Association Human and Hope Association

Human and Hope Australia (Human & Hope) partners with the Human and Hope Association in Cambodia to empower and benefit families living in poverty through locally driven projects. We support elements of governance and provide essential support to their projects.

We chose to help Cambodia where 18% of the population live on less than $2.70 a day and only 28.6% of young adults are enrolled in upper secondary education (World Bank 2022).

Our sister organisation collaborates closely with the Sambour community in Siem Reap to support families and create social and economic outcomes. They focus on improving lives through education, vocational training, and community development initiatives with a strong emphasis on child protection.

What we stand for:
Local Empowerment - We strongly believe that local people are best placed to develop their communities. We raise funds for our locally-run program partner, HHA, to do the hands-on work.
Sustainability - We believed in the importance of ensuring that positive change is long-lasting and intergenerational; a long-term solution to poverty.
Integrity - We believe in doing what is right even when it's difficult

Project Summary

This program provides 500 young Cambodian girls with a safe and hygienic menstrual kit, enabling them to manage their periods with ease. They also attend an interactive workshop on the benefits of using the kit, cleaning, and drying techniques, and the potential risks associated with single-use pads.

Each kit includes three reusable cloth menstrual pads, soap, and a discreet carry-on pouch. They are made by HHA Cambodia’s sewing graduates.

​​Period poverty presents a significant challenge for women and girls in Cambodia, leading to heightened risks of infections and reproductive health problems due to inadequate access to resources, facilities, and knowledge.

A packet of menstrual pads costs USD$3 which is unsustainable for families living below the national poverty line of USD$2.30 per day. This often forces women and girls to use rags for several days, leading to girls missing school or dropping out.

By working closely with public schools, we can overcome cultural stereotypes about periods and help girls feel confident in managing their periods.

Project Outcomes

The goal is to support 500 girls from low-income families in rural Siem Reap with the resources and knowledge they need to manage their menstruation safely.

After the workshop, the project team will monitor the girls' use of the menstrual kit, school attendance, and collect regular feedback. They will provide ongoing mentoring sessions to address any issues.

The expected short-term outcomes include:

- 100% of participants understand basic menstrual hygiene and know where to access resources and information.
- At least 80% of participants attend school during their menstrual cycles.
- At least 90% of participants continue to use their kits

This project supports girls like Keo whose family discussed menstruation as a secretive matter. Keo questioned some of her mother's advice, such as not washing her hair or picking fruit during her period. Now she shares her positive experience with reusable pads, encouraging open discussions among her friends.

Budget Breakdown

TOTAL BUDGET: $16,350
FUNDING
Funding source Amount
Funding Gap (unconfirmed) $16,350
EXPENSES
Expense item Amount
Reusable menstrual pads and pouches x 500 $8,750
Bars of soap x 500 $400
Project Coordinator, implementation and monitoring & evaluation $6,200
Administration (printing of resources and feedback sheets,, phone, petrol, delivery) $1,000

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Contact Us
Level 6, 126 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, learn and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Australian Communities Foundation is a proudly inclusive organisation and an ally of LGBTQIA+ communities and the movement toward equality.