As an engineer in the WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) sector, I have always been passionate about WASH education, which includes menstrual hygiene education. As a woman, this subject holds particular significance for me, and I wanted to do something about the lack of knowledge around it in my community here in Nicaragua. After talking with Nidia, the Director of the Amigos Academy, I created a basic curriculum and began to co-teach a menstrual hygiene education class with Profe Ana to the 5th and 6th grade girls at the Academy.
I remember on the first day of class when a girl commented, “Yeah Profe Caroline, but boys have periods too, right?” Oh boy, I thought, this is going to be quite a long semester.
Initially met with understandable shyness, given the sensitive nature of the topic, the girls gradually opened up and began to ask lots of great questions. Most of the girls had not learned about periods from women in their families, but rather from Tik Tok and other social media platforms. Together, we dispelled common myths surrounding menstruation, delved into the scientific intricacies of the menstrual cycle, and explored proper self-care practices during menstruation. We had so much fun making menstrual cycle bracelets to help track our cycles & hot water bottles for alleviating cramps, and we even learned how to sew pads!
Witnessing the girls’ newfound confidence in themselves and their bodies since the culmination of the class has been immensely gratifying. One of my girls even told me that she was able to help her cousin with what to do when she started her period!
The sense of empowerment that comes with being able to track your period and thus being prepared for when it arrives and the knowledge of what is happening to your body and how to properly articulate these experiences is unlike any other. I have loved getting to know the girls super well during this class and watching them become self-assured young women, who I am confident will be able to properly care for their bodies in this new physical chapter from here on out.
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