World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026
My friends and I went to Telefomin High School and gave out Reusable Sanitary Kits to the Grade 10 girls. This was the largest group we’ve done in one go, 76 students, plus we had an extra kit which we gave to one of their teachers.
Click on the picture above to watch a short video of our distribution of Reusable Sanitary Kits to the grade 10 girls at Telefomin High School.
A massive thank you goes to the Brownfield ladies in Alberta, Canada who made all the reusable kits and fundraised to ship them across the Pacific!
We split into class groups so we could show the grade 10s what was in each kit and how to use everything.
If the girls look after their kits, they should last them until after they finish High School in 2.5 years.
Many of the High School students live in the school dorms February-November. The school has basic facilities, but not enough. Sometimes the rainwater tanks run out and the students have to walk down to the river to bathe and collect water for drinking and cooking.
Shiv with my PNG sisters, Menik, Vero & Joyce. These wonderful friends have been helping me show young women, across the Min valley, how to use the Reusable Sanitary Kits since the first ones arrived in Telefomin! I couldn’t do these sessions without their help.
In the school mess, giving a brief lesson on the menstrual cycle, showing a short video on my laptop, and sharing some personal experiences from when I first got my period.
One of the biggest problems for young women managing their periods and their changing bodies, is shame. Despite the fact that almost every woman on earth has to learn to deal with her period and her changing body, yet culture still treats this normal change as something to hide and be embarrassed about. I feel like this is a problem in every country in the world and I want to do my part to encourage young women to not be ashamed of their bodies, to feel free to ask questions, and to understand that your menstrual cycle is a sign of health!
On my veranda, before heading to the High School, putting soap in some of the packs and making sure we had enough kits ready to distribute.
Two of the Grade 10 girls wearing their new school uniforms with the Telefomin High School crest.
My favourite part of doing these sessions is getting the opportunity to pray for the young women. I am only one person, I don’t have the capacity to mentor and encourage 76 teenage girls, but it is a privilege to share a gift which will make managing their periods a little easier, and to have their permission to pray for them and their future choices.
