Sanitary Towels for Girls, Shoes for Boys

It’s a worthy deal by the government to budget for supply of sanitary towels to all girls in primary schools. Those girls are put through hardships by the natural dissemination in addition to trying to convince their parents-some poor, are drunkards, or some just don’t know (fathers, really?) to give them money for the necessary tools to counter the monthly thing. It’s indeed a good thing for the state to think of buying the instruments for the young women and relieve them of stress from dealing with the natural act.

For the uninitiated, Finance minister, Uhuru Kenyatta, set aside sh301million for this endeavour in the 2011/12 financial year. Though, critics have started mumbling something next to the cash being inadequate, it’s fair to think that there was no such allocation in the past years. This alone is historic and deserves much praise. But NGOs are never satisfied, they will grumble, grouse and whine at everything-its fine, poking holes is their hobby for their financiers increase allotments when they increase their levels of noise decibels even where it’s not needed.

The idea mused by the state for a while, possibly is meant to keep the young girls safer from disturbances borne by menstruation, which as reported often distort their learning formulas.

Girls have been sorted here. Hooray! But, wait a minute. What about boys? Them in primary school and who face mountains of challenges too. Well, they do not have monthly cycles of trauma like their female counterparts but they also face different difficulties which at times wriggle them out of the learning system. Such obstacles are many. If you count, you will get drugs, cattle-keeping, circumcision and its adversities, getting wealth (read cows for dowry) etc.

The topmost, though, is lacking shoes. Yeap, you heard it right, shoes! They are vital tools if boys are to be kept in school. This tool is indispensable for both boys and girls. However, girls ought not to be having many problems in getting them. You know, girls’ shoes are cheaper- ranging between sh50, 70, mostly sh100 and they get a good pair of shoes. Boys’ go for at least sh200 and above to even thousands. Tell me which primary school boy has such amounts to get a good pair. And with their boisterous nature, the cycle to buying new ones is shorter than that for girls. That means an active boy requires several pair of shoes each year.

Now that girls will get sanitary towels, let those shoe-less boys get some supply of shoes too. They will be happy and will know government’s thoughts are with them.

Moral Lesson: Don’t discriminate against anyone, give them equally and all will be ever happy.