IRFF UK September 2022 Report

WHAT IS PERIOD POVERTY? w ,__ Learn about period poverty and find ‘k· _..,__,:: ~. .. out how IRFF UK is taking action’ 4.,, …

IRFF UK INTRODUCTION 2022 has been an exciting year for IRFF UK. Lots of projects have progressed whilst some have made good steps to becoming self-sustainable.

A great deal was achieved and a large portion of the funding was used to provide hungry people with food due to the effects of the corona pandemic.

Since the beginning of September 2027, IRFF UK hos been supporting a number of international projects including the following, which represented some £59,000 of funding.

It is estimated that they positively affected the lives of at least 7,500 people.

PERIOD POVERTY WHAT IS IT? Period poverty affects roughly 500 Sadly, period poverty causes mental, million people worldwide. It is defined as emotional and physical challenges. Many a lack of access to menstrual products, people feel shame for menstruating, hygiene education and facilities, waste however, there is still a large stigma management or a combination of these. surrounding periods which prevents discussion on the topic. This causes many people to suffer in silence. Campaigners, such as IRFF UK are trying to talk about this topic more openly so that more help can be provided to those who need it.

A common cause of period poverty is a lack of funds to buy menstrual products or a lack of supply in the area for menstrual products. This causes stress which causes people to drop out of work or school which has a big effect on their income or future potential career.

To keep up with developments on our period poverty projects, subscribe to our newsletter via our website and follow us on Face book.

www.facebook.com/lRFF.UK

GAMBIA - VOCATIONAL SCHOOL FOR YOUNG WOMEN

In October 2021 and February 2022 a combined sum of £3,500 was sent to buy ERMENT materials in Gambia and to pay overheads to train 23 young women in tie TA !!!!ROG, ii & dye and batik techniques for dyeing 7219947 / 9335830

Some months later 19 of the 23 students passed their examination, attended a graduation ceremony and are now equipped to be self-sufficient either as an employee in the trade or as a business owners.

The rem01ning four young women will repeat the training soon as part of Cohort 2 of about 25 new trainees.

GHANA VOCATIONAL SCHOOL In the meantime, they are planning to buy sewing machines and materials, not FOR YOUNG WOMEN only to train young women in pastries, cake decoration, bread making and In January 2027 WAIT Chana decided to dressmaking this time but also to start support young women tn vocational making renewable sanitary pads. tr0tn1ng covering pastries, cake decoration, bread making, dressmaking and hairstyling The £620 sent in March 2021 allowed WAIT Chana to train 4 young women (Cohort 7) in their chosen trade.

In readiness for Cohort 2, IRFF sent £1,300 Another £1,000 will be sent shortly to in March 2022 to purchase a container as progress the project. an office and storage location and to prepare it while sourcing 70 new young women trainees.

IRFF UK had been supporting a school in Dakar for hundreds of children during a building phase on the third floor of their school building. Funding was intense for some time but has tapered off now as the project reached completion. Many children at the Walmer Primary School receive this education which vastly improves their learning ability. Support has been increased to £300 per SOUTH AFRICA month since Moy 2022.

IRFF UK had been supporting Artworks for Youth throughout 2020 and 2027 but the project manager left the project in late June 2027 and then later died in the USA. Funding decreased for this project and finally stopped in March 2022

The project supported the education of on estimated 40 young people aged 6 - 14.

IRFF UK has been supporting ‘Shine’ in South Africa since October 2021. The project involves providing literacy classes for Primary School children . Literacy levels are notoriously poor in South Africa.

point where funding for this project will UGANDA be suspended with immediate effect. DESTINY JUNIOR SCHOOL The old funding will still be sent to upgrade the Destiny School support IRFF has been supporting Destiny School instead. There are other NGOs operating since 2007, both regarding infrastructure nearby who could be approached to take projects such as school rooms, water over the work of the MMT, helping about wells, a playground, latrines, a security 700 people per year to walk again. wall (costing £70,000), purchase of two lots of additional land around the school, but also to pay for teachers, feeding of the 200 Primary School children and associated costs.

WAIT AIDS PREVENTION EDUCATION Infection rates of HIV in Uganda are very high and can easily lead to the debilitating condition of AIDS.

The UN recommends the ABC approach - Abstinence or otherwise be careful (not a Starting much lower in the past, IRFF has defence against HIV) or use a condom recently been sending £950 per month to (not a 700% barrier against HIV). the school for teaching and feeding the Commercially interested parties push the pupils but price hikes have eroded the use of condoms - very lucrative - but the buying power of these funds to the point only 700% sure way of staying healthy is where we are being asked to double the abstinence until a person finds a trusted funding as soon as possible. HIV-free lifetime partner/spouse.

This is what WAIT Uganda teaches young people with their motto “/ am worth MOBILE MEDICAL TEAM waiting for and so are you” through IRFF has been supporting the Mobile dance and education. Medical Team since late 2073 - removing Countless people have been saved from fly larvae Uiggers) from peoples’ feet which can be crippling and contribute the misery of an HIV infection by this programme. IRFF only sends a very even more to poverty. modest amount for this project every two However, the project has become more months but would very much like to difficult in the last two years with the loss increase that with more support from of a key vehicle and cost rises to the donors.

MASAKA PRISON

On their travels, WAIT Uganda started to Period poverty is a huge problem for assist in supporting female prisoners in school girls who hove reached puberty in Masako Prison with “fem” products but Uganda since proper menstrual hygiene also began teaching them and the 785 products ore often out of reach for mole inmates a Primary Education the poorer people {and ore even considered inmates never hod, to prepare them for luxury products in some African life outside of prison . IRFF would like to countries). do more to support these temporary prisoners.

GIRL HEAL TH & SUPPORT PROJECT

IRFF UK hos been supporting The Girl Health & Support Project since late 2075. The project focuses on the education of menstruation hygiene and how to not let it obstruct education and careers in the long run. IRFF UK supports with a very modest amount for this project every two months, but would very much like to increase that with more support from donors.

Even the UK has a period poverty problem. During this natural cycle, poorer girls and women take potentially unhealthy measures, leading to infections and even infertility.

Also, schoolgirls can lose an average of 5 days a month of schooling with very bad results for their future. Simply being supplied with reusable sanitary pods and later making their own can give these girls/women their life bock.

GENERAL DEVELOPMENTS A MESSAGE FROM IRFF UK CHAIR - EDWARD HARTLEY

IRFF has been working for some years now with a skeleton crew of four trustees, two low-paid part -timers and one or two A BIG THANK YOU TO volunteers. ALL OUR SUPPORTERS One hugely successful activity is the OVER THE PAST YEAR! Tricycle Shop, which is IRFF UK ‘s main enabler for our projects. We would like to congratulate the Tricycle store for now Thank you for your support for being open for 70 years! The shop has 25 volunteers and is still the backbone of a II of our projects so far. IRFF financially. Nothing brings more joy than 0 I knowing we are enabling

rn_._ ,_..:. ._ ~_·Ii’I -~ more people to experience ~ !!: -~:·.’ (•i, t 4). ·,: . Oi./ e~ j • . l! J· · _·Jl ;.t:; tI 1 V education, live healthier lives, Recent planning has led to the and have more access to conclusion that IRFF should be investing opportunities for their future . much more time refining its fundraising This 1s all thanks to the as well as launching period poverty projects in Africa. donations provided by you.

Due to ongoing situations around the Please feel free to visit our world, for IRFF UK to continue to support our projects to their current level, we will website (www.irff-uk.org) to need to increase our monthly income by read about all the projects £800-£7000. This will be to counteract the huge increases in prices which have carried out by IRFF UK and to occurred quite recently. sign up for our newsletter, and also check out our Facebook We will do our best to use every means to increase income in every way we can and page also hope that you the reader may be (www.Facebook.com/irff-u k) moved by this detailed account to support your chosen project with to see if you’d like to get anything you can afford - as a one-time involved or support any of our donation or a regular monthly one. projects. Thank you in advance. Thank You for all your support The Chair and Treasurer Edward Hartley in 2022!