Girls Want to Know

One in every five girls in Colombia between 15 to 19 years are or have been pregnant, according to government figures. Experts say teenage pregnancy in Colombia is also fueled by a lack of information. ~Reuters, 2017.

ACESWorld P4L visited three rural schools outside of Cartagena to teach reproductive health.  In addition to local students, there were many migrant children from Venezuela, whose families were fleeing the challenges there.  It was rewarding to be able to provide these girls with reproductive information and sanitary pads.

In one village, many of the parents work away from home for long periods and there are no sanitary pads available in the village.  Girls must use any materials they can to manage their periods without any support.  Now those girls have pads and they know how to sew new pads when they are needed.

Girls often suffered in silence and were uncomfortable talking to the adults in their lives.  Most girls did not understand the menstrual cycle, ovulation, female anatomy or the risks associated with sexual intercourse, especially with older, more promiscuous men. P4L provided reusable sanitary pads and an opportunity for girls to ask questions in a safe environment.  Each school received school supplies and a copy of The ABC’s of Being a Girl, translated into Spanish by ACESWorld staff.

ACESWorld thanks the local communities and the schools that allowed us to work with their students.