Using fashion to provide re-usable pads to girls in Karamoja

By Stella Nassuna

Five of Uganda’s top designers got together on Friday night during the second Fashion for Compassion show held at Sheraton Hotel to raise money to enable Karimojong girls acquire re-usable sanitary pads.

Together with the Woman to Woman Foundation they last year raised sh10 million for the same project, and hope to raise more this year.

“In a month a majority of girls in the rural areas miss about three to five days of school because they are menstruating,” said Dr. William Lubega, co-founder of the Woman to Woman foundation. “If we take them the reusable sanitary towels, we would have helped keep them in school all throughout the year.”

Shiraz Niraj, another co-founder of the foundation, said they are targeting to donate re-usable sanitary towels to about 600 in Kaabong district in Karamoja.

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Outfits by K-Rafeal showcased at the Fashion for Compassion show

“After the fundraising we hope that the girls in Kaabong will be able to get a pack of sanitary towels that comes with 8 pads, and can reuse them 15 times (year). We also intend to give them two new knickers each.”

It was for a noble cause, and so the designers probably did not worry very much that the production of the show was not great, that the performances were not exciting, and that the MCs made the whole event drag. But they were obviously not happy that the lighting was extremely poor, so that the audience saw the designs on show.

The designers were Brenda Maraka, Martha Jabo, Rafael, Elly Tumwine, and Linda Musiimenta; they showcased their finest in ready to wear, evening dresses, haute couture and African tunics clothing.