Snapshot of a Schoolyard: From Shame to Joy
Written by: Chrissie Kaufmann
“Wunders products matter in the lives of girls because they help them find dignity,” says Neddy, Chairperson of Wunders Kenya. She shares that the pad system “holds on, it doesn’t shift, it stays in place… it allows them to be girls, to be children!” Instrumental since Wunders’ inception five years ago, Neddy is proud of what God has done through the Wunders seamstresses, trainers, products, and partnerships. As Regional Coordinator for International Child Care Ministries for East Africa, she has witnessed firsthand the transformation that dependable menstrual solutions and education has made in the lives of girls. Today, at many partner schools in Kenya, more girls are playing in the schoolyards at recess. Their laughter bounces off the surrounding buildings, their shoes pivot in the dirt as they chase each other, and their smiles flash in the sunshine. With glowing faces and lighter hearts, they are able to be the children that they are.
Photo of Neddy
The picture was different five years ago. Once girls began menstruating, many would stay out of school for five to seven days a month, Neddy says, because families do not have enough money to prioritize the needs of a girl over buying food. Girls would use old rags, tear their own clothes to make rags, or just sleep at home and bleed on their bedding. In the schoolyard, girls would have messy accidents, endure the subsequent embarrassment, and be sent home. They suffered cyclical isolation and shame, compounded by repeated gaps in their schooling and reduced academic performance. The schoolyard at recess time was a quieter, emptier place.
But oh! The difference that Wunders trainings and kits have made! No matter what time of month, the girls can jump for joy with confidence that they will stay clean and dry. According to Neddy, the students’ outstanding comment is “Thank you for providing a solution!” and the teachers’ outstanding comment is “Thank you, because you have solved a problem.”
Truly, the Wunders kits are minimizing moments of shame in schools. Not only that, but the girls and staff alike are being educated that menstruation is normal, healthy, and is God’s way. “I tell the girls to be proud about their menstrual cycle,” Neddy proclaims. “This is how God has created us as women. He has no regrets that we have to go through this path. We are lifegivers.”
One by one, girls are trading shame for joy through implementing Wunders trainings and using their reusable menstrual kits.
While Neddy celebrates the milestone of five years of Wunders, she knows that many more students are still confined at home due to a lack of supplies, which puts them at risk. In a culture where speaking about menstruation is taboo, Neddy has become an outspoken champion. “I just want to stand out on the street and say ‘Hey, hey, hey, everyone! Stop! Listen! We need support! We need you to turn and look! There are girls here that need help!’ ” Neddy’s vision is for all the girls in her path and in the path of Wunders to receive a kit within the next five years. “You know what that will do?” she asks. “In the next five years we will have developed a girl community that is empowered... that is bolder, braver, and courageous… because they have a product that takes care of their insecurities.”
To reach this goal, Neddy asks us to pray. “Our survival depends on funding. Pray that the Lord who owns the cattle on a thousand hills … will provide so that Wunders Kenya and Wunders Global can keep putting a pad in every needy girl’s [hand].” Then every schoolyard will be filled with the laughter of all the girls, free to enjoy their childhood every recess of every day.
Quote from Neddy