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Kenya: Tana River Menstrual Health Activist Wins Florence Nightingale Medal

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4 years ago

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Tana River menstrual hygiene ambassador Milcah Hadida, has received the prestigious Florence Nightingale Medal for her efforts in fighting period poverty.

The Kenya Red Cross volunteer, was among 25 other health workers and volunteers nominated globally by the Red Crescent Society for the award. The selection was done by a commission comprised of the International Council of Nurses, International Federation of Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Ms Hadida runs a campaign geared towards collecting sanitary towels from well-wishers then riding on a bicycle to distribute them to vulnerable girls in communities around the county.

Her five-month efforts have seen her reach 2,300 girls with in the county that hit media headlines with a sad story on period poverty in May, last year.

In an interview with the nation.africa, a delighted Ms Hadida said the award was sentimental in the war against period poverty in the country.

“I can assure you this will inspire more activists to join in this crisis our girls are facing, especially in the marginalised areas,” she said.

The ambassador noted that more than 5,000 girls in the county faced a sanitary towels crisis and were hence, in need.

She reiterated that the government’s effort to distribute pads in school was not sufficient as the students were sharing the same items with their siblings at home.