The Bloody Little Secret

It happens to every one of us, yet somehow it's something we aren't supposed to speak of. It's kept secret from the boys and even our parents don't want to talk to us about it.

Its scary to wake up with pain and then bleeding and not know what's happening to you. And then to be told that you need to stay away from others until it goes away. In my family, we have to share a piece of ripped fabric. Sometimes my sister doesn't even clean it before she hides it under the bed and I have to clean it when I need it. It's too risky to go to school when it happens because there's no place to change your clothes or clean up since there isn't any water or place to wash your hands. So every month I miss a week of school.

The older boys know this. And the ones on the corner offer us money so we can buy pads if we will do sexual things with them. I so badly want to do well in school. Should I do it? Is it worth the cost? I know having an education is the key to getting out of poverty and my parents and younger siblings are relying on me. Maybe it's the only way.

Just when I was going to give it all away so I could get pads and go to school, we were told that Food for His Children and Elle Peut Naidim were going to give reusable pads to all of us at school! I was so excited and happy to know that I wouldn't have to miss school anymore. They taught us about menstruation and they even told the boys about it so they won't tease us anymore. Now I don't have to be scared to come to school.

I am so grateful!

'Your gifts and support to the families and school we are engaged in, are of million potentials, you mean a lot supporting the needs with endless love, thank you so much for securing a girl child from sex trafficking, insecurity and school dropouts. May the lord fill your cups always. Grateful.’ Loveness Joshua, Food for His Children Case Manager.

*This story is a representative story of the girls in Food for His Children families and their experiences with menstruation. It is not a true story of one particular girl.