Muthoni's Walk: A Step Towards Dignity for Every Girl
When I received my invitation to the "Embrace Her Cycle: Walk for Dignity" that will be held on September 7th, 2024, I felt a profound need to act. To raise awareness and funds for this cause, I am taking on a personal challenge: walk from Chogoria to Embu (58.6 km or 36.5 miles) on August 6-7 to support 300 girls - $3,000 USD.
I invite my colleagues, friends, and HopeCore partners to join me in this mission. Your donations will help HopeCore provide 300 girls with an annual sanitary towels and underwear supply.
I was born and raised in Chuka, a town on the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, where I attended Kanguto Primary School and later Kiini Secondary School. I always loved history and government and cherish a calm environment. As the seventh born in a family of many siblings, I come from a very humble background. My parents, small-scale farmers, couldn't always afford the basics. Yet, they instilled in me the values of hard work and resilience.
After completing Form 4 (high school), I had to pause my education due to financial constraints. My parents prioritized paying school fees for my younger siblings. I turned to small businesses to earn an income and eventually secured a job as a security officer. In 2018, I joined Village HopeCore International as a caretaker, a role I continue to this day.
My passion for menstrual hygiene management began in secondary school. I had two close friends who couldn't afford sanitary towels, so I shared what little I had with them. We were netball players, and during one interschool competition, a tragic incident occurred. One of my friends was using a cloth as a makeshift sanitary towel. During the game, the cloth fell, soaked in blood. She was so ashamed that she dropped to the ground, trying desperately to hide it. The game stopped, and everyone thought she was unwell. Though she managed to conceal the cloth, she got scratched while being helped up, which diverted attention to her injury.
Later, she confided in me about what had happened. From that day on, she missed school during her menstruation, too embarrassed to return. This broke my heart because I couldn't support both friends with my limited sanitary towels.
Becoming a mother deepened my commitment to menstrual hygiene. I taught my daughters how to use, wear, and dispose of sanitary towels. I kept a carton stocked with supplies and made sure they never ran out. In my neighborhood, I often buy sanitary towels for girls who can't afford them, knowing how critical it is for their dignity and education. Many parents in my community, especially single-led households, struggle to provide these essentials.
When I received my invitation to the "Embrace Her Cycle: Walk for Dignity" that will be held on September 7th, 2024, I felt a profound need to act. To raise awareness and funds for this cause, I am taking on a personal challenge: walk from Chogoria to Embu (58.6 km or 36.5 miles) on August 6-7 to support 300 girls - $3,000 USD.
I invite my colleagues, friends, and HopeCore partners to join me in this mission. Your donations will help HopeCore provide 300 girls with an annual sanitary towels and underwear supply.
Click now to donate today! Any amount will make a difference.
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