Schools for Salone

GiveBig To End Period Poverty and Keep Girls in School

Watch the video below to see an interview with Juliet Rhoman, the Executive Director of Uman Tok and the heart and soul of Uman Tok's national campaign to end period poverty in Sierra Leone.

Schools for Salone is proud to partner with Uman-Tok, a woman-led, Sierra Leonean organization that provides reproductive health awareness, education, and sustainable feminine health kits to women & girls. 

Girls in Sierra Leone face high dropout rates due to added educational barriers such as unequal levels of household chores, teenage marriage and pregnancy. For the second year running, enrollment of girls within our schools matched enrollment of boys, thanks in part to Uman Tok's efforts in supporting girls in education.

Uman Tok’s kits offer a sustainable and reusable solution to girls’ menstrual health needs ensuring no girl misses school because of the perceived shame or lack of suitable products during their period.

In 2023, we held sexual reproductive health education sessions at all Schools for Salone-supported schools. 4748 Boys and Girls now understand their bodies’ transition from childhood to adolescence. We distributed 1464 menstrual hygiene kits to menstruators. 

Uman Tok menstrual hygiene kit in focus:

• 8 reusable and absorbent liners

• 2 waterproof shields, 2 panties

• 1 washcloth

• 2 ziplock plastic bags for washing and storage

• 1 bar of soap

• 1 drawstring bag to store it all

• 1 how-to-care sheet. 

Providing sexual reproductive health education to boys and girls informs them about the changes and challenges they will experience during puberty, and we are proud that there have been no reported instances of teenage pregnancies since our partners have begun this education within our schools. These interventions empower girls and enhance their educational success.

Please join us in our mission to give girls the quality education they need by reducing the reproductive health barriers that keeps them away from school. GiveBIG for Girls Education!

About Schools for Salone

Vision: A Sierra Leone where good education is a normal part of every child's life.

Mission: Schools for Salone advances and expands quality education in Sierra Leone. 

Schools for Salone partners with Sierra Leoneans to construct schools in rural communities and to improve educational opportunities for vulnerable children in Sierra Leone. Because we believe self-initiated solutions are most effective, Schools for Salone works through local partnerships to help equip communities in Sierra Leone to build schools, create healthy learning environments, and support students and teachers. We work to revitalize communities, empower children, and ultimately improve socioeconomic conditions for families, communities, and future generations.

Since 2005, Schools for Salone has constructed 43 school buildings and 5 libraries, all with rainwater collection hand-washing stations and private-stall toilets. We also provide education quality support to the schools in our partner communities, including literacy training, teacher certification scholarships, and teaching and learning materials. We are providing scholarships to 80 students to help them stay in school rather than drop out to help support their families. Because girls are most vulnerable and at the highest risk of dropping out, we also have a girls program which includes reusable menstruation and reproductive health education so girls can stay in school and achieve their dreams.