The Petal Project: An innovation in sexual healthcare and education for Kenyan schoolgirl.

In the western province of Nyanza in Kenya, girls and women face an issue all too common in the developing world-little or no access to affordable means to effectively managing their menstrual flow. As a result, many stay at home or drop out of school because they are teased and embarrassed. Some approach men for money to buy pads and are forced, in return, to engage in transactional sex. The girls may not be able to return to school at all due to pregnancy. The story literally and figuratively continues to cycle, keeping girls in positions of dependency and poverty. In May 2011, two visiting nursing faculty conducting health clinics with students, were approached by a young male school volunteer who shared his observations and unease with what he saw happening. Concerns shared that day spawned an initiative known as the Petal Project, which has yielded thousands of starter kits hand-sewn and delivered to girls in Kenya. The Petal Project has grown in popularity and participation on their college campus and in neighboring communities. Since its inception, this initiative has expanded to include over six countries and has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of givers and receivers.