The “Red Days”: Menstrual Hygiene as an Education Emergency
Introduction: The Week of Silence There is a week every month where certain classrooms in rural Uganda become emptier. It is not a holiday. It is not an outbreak. It is the menstrual cycle. For a girl in a rural village, a period is not just a biological function; it is an educational crisis. Without […]
Dust, Drought, and Discipline: Managing Health in the Dry Season
Introduction: The Orange Haze January and February in Uganda are characterized by the Musana—the fierce sun. The dirt roads turn to powder. The wind whips up orange dust that coats everything: the trees, the roofs, and the lungs of our children. While we often worry about malaria in the wet season, the dry season brings […]
The “Back to School” & Dry Season Edition
Introduction: The February Anxiety As January draws to a close, a palpable tension rises in the villages of Nakaseke and the suburbs of Jinja. It is not just the heat of the dry season; it is the looming deadline of the First Term. In Uganda, “Free Education” (UPE) is technically available, but it is never […]