“Mum, am I sick?” The question lingered as 12-year-old Lynet stood uncertainly at the door, her school dress tied around her waist and an old hoodie covering her hips. Her mother paused, sensing the moment she had long prepared for. “No, my sweet girl,” she said, “you’ve just become a woman.”
Sitting her daughter down, she pulled out a brown envelope she had hidden away for this day. Inside were sanitary pads, cotton underwear, and a handwritten note: “You are strong. You are growing. You are normal.”
She explained: “It’s called a period. Every girl gets it. It might feel strange, but it’s a part of life.” With those words, she broke the silence she had grown up with, choosing instead to give her daughter knowledge and confidence.
Elsewhere, 14-year-old Lilian remembered her first experience at school. When she saw a red stain on her uniform, it was met with whispers and laughter. Confused and ashamed, she ran home. Her mother offered no explanation just a folded cloth and a warning to avoid boys. “I thought I had done something wrong,” she recalled. Years later, Lilian now openly talks to her younger sister to make sure she never feels that same confusion.
Traditionally, conversations around menstruation have been avoided, especially by fathers. But this, too, is changing. One father recounted how his daughter came to him about pain in her lower abdomen. Instead of shying away, he sat with her, watched an educational video in Kiswahili, and explained what was happening. “Why should I act like my daughter’s body is a mystery?” he asked.
Some schools are also changing their approach. In one mixed school, both boys and girls now attend reproductive health classes together. The results have been transformative. Boys are more supportive, and girls feel less ashamed.
Experts say that these conversations should begin early around age eight and be clear, honest, and supportive. Using correct terms and framing menstruation as a normal biological process helps children feel informed rather than afraid. Including boys is essential; it breaks down stigma and promotes respect.
In places where resources are limited, the conversation can be even more difficult. Some parents feel helpless when they cannot afford pads. But even in such circumstances, a reassuring word and honest talk can make all the difference.
From fear to understanding, silence to openness, young girls like Wanja are leading the way sharing pads with friends, asking questions, and proudly embracing their bodies. And behind them are parents breaking generational cycles and teaching that menstruation is not a shameful secret, but a sign of growth, strength, and life.
