Last year, after the Outreach Development Program (ODP) team ran Menstrual Health Management (MHM) workshops across nine communities in Malawi, a local woman shared a piece of feedback that stuck:

“Thirty girls are just a drop of water in the Indian Ocean.”

The message was simple: the training worked, but the need was still there. In village after village, mothers, local leaders, and young girls made it clear that a single workshop wasn’t enough. They wanted more sessions so every young woman in their region could participate.

This past month, the ODP Malawi team started answering that call. They brought Menstrual Health Management (MHM) programming to two new communities: Chimpamba and Msoko.

In Chimpamba, the team hosted sessions for 35 adolescent girls and two women leaders. In Msoko, 35 girls, three women representatives, and Glory Jere, a local community health worker—gathered for training at the Umodzi CBO center.

Why This Work Matters

Globally, the data collected tell a staggering story. The World Bank estimates that 500 million women and girls lack proper facilities and supplies to manage their periods. On top of that, the WHO and UNICEF report that only about two out of five schools worldwide offer period education.

When girls don’t have accurate information or basic supplies, the consequences build up quickly:

  • School Attendance: UNESCO estimates that 1 in 10 menstruating girls in Sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their period. Over time, those missed days lead to falling behind academically or dropping out entirely.
  • Economic Security: Girls who leave school early face fewer job prospects, making them more vulnerable to early marriage and financial instability later in life.
  • Health & Safety: Without clean water and proper materials, the risk of infection increases.
  • Confidence & Well-being: Managing a period in secret and without knowing what is happening creates unnecessary fear, isolation, and shame.

Storytelling with Rosie’s World

All of these hardships created by the lack of menstrual health education and infrastructure is referred to as “period poverty.” At its core, period poverty is the systemic lack of access to three basic needs: affordable menstrual supplies, clean and safe sanitation facilities, and health education. It affects so many, and it’s preventable. It takes more than just handing out supplies. It requires breaking down old taboos and misinformation through honest conversation. To do that, the ODP Malawi team implemented an educational guide co-developed by WASH United and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts called Rosie’s World.

Instead of relying on health lectures, Rosie’s World uses storytelling, characters, games, and group activities to make hard topics easy to talk about. The central story follows two girls, Rosie and Grace, as they grow up. For many participants, reading Rosie’s story is the first time they see their own experiences talked about openly and without judgment.

Reaction to Rosie’s World

Chrissy, Outreach Program Coordinator in Malawi, highlighted this in her program reflections:

“Using the Rosie’s World materials for MHM training in our communities has been very helpful. The story of Rosie and Grace gave the girls a realistic picture of how to handle their first menstruation. Because the training guide is presented as a story, the girls were able to follow it easily and relate it to their own experiences. Many of them identified with the characters’ feelings of fear, uncertainty, and embarrassment during puberty, as well as the challenges of missing school or other activities because of menstruation. The story helped them realize that these experiences are common and showed them practical ways to manage menstruation with confidence.”

The practical side of these workshops is just as crucial. During one recent session, facilitators held up a reusable pad to show how to use and care for it. When asked what it was, a few nine-year-old girls guessed it was a toy car, and another thought it was a small airplane. By the end of the day, every girl understood what it was, how it worked, and how to keep it clean.

The groups also learned how to use a basic calendar to track their cycles. Knowing when to expect their period takes away the sudden panic of unmanaged bleeding at school or in public, giving girls peace of mind.

Impact on Daily Life

Menstrual Health Management (MHM) training isn’t just a basic health lesson, it connects to everything else we do in community development. When a girl understands her body, the shift shows up everywhere:

  • Dignity First: Understanding that menstruation is a normal biological process replaces shame with self-care and confidence.
  • Staying in Class: Simple knowledge and supplies keep girls in school every day of the month, protecting their education and future goals.
  • Changing Community Habits: As leaders learn alongside the girls, old restrictive practices start to disappear.

Maureen, a community leader from Thomasi, reflected:

“When a girl had her first menstruation, she was supposed to stay indoors for days. Only aunties, grannies, and elder sisters were allowed to visit her, sharing the dos and don’ts she needed to follow. Since the training, this practice is no longer there. Girls are allowed to go to school, and parents aren’t worried—they understand their daughters already have the knowledge they need.”

The impact across Malawi’s first nine communities tell the same story. 21 local leaders educated 282 girls on menstrual health:

  • Girls who felt shame or thought periods were “dirty” dropped from 60% down to 8%.
  • Girls who felt proud of their bodies rose from 20% to 58%.
  • Belief that periods are normal and natural jumped from 15% to 63%.
  • Girls who haven’t started their period yet and expected to feel scared dropped from 27% to just 1%.
  • Agreement that girls can keep doing normal activities (playing, cooking, attending school) rose from 27% to 98%.

Local leaders in Chilowamatambe, Ofesi, and Boyore also reported an estimated 70% increase in school attendance among menstruating girls after the training sessions.

Moving Forward

The new workshops in Chimpamba and Msoko show what happens when local communities lead the way. By pairing practical tools like WASH United’s Rosie’s World with the dedication of local Outreach facilitators, health workers, and traditional leaders, mindsets across Malawi are changing.

Period education isn’t an extra add-on. It is essential for health, equality, and keeping girls in school. Every new workshop, every shared guide, and every girl who walks into school with confidence helps turn a single moment of transformation into lasting change for an entire community.

How to Help

The demand for period education is growing, but we can’t answer the call alone. Donate today to help bring local, community-led solutions like this to life for the next community.