Girls in Refugee Camps: Breaking Silence, Fighting Myths, Staying in School
Velnah Morang'a with refugee girls during Huru distribution in Dadaab (Faces blurred for privacy).
Every year on International Day of the Girl, we honor the courage of girls living on the margins—from Maasai communities where harmful traditions persist to refugee camps where displacement strips away basic support. We listen, and we share their stories—not as tales of weakness, but of resilience. At the heart of our mission is a simple belief: no girl should be limited by her period.
This year, our focus turns to Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya—home to more than 430,000 people, over half of them children. In recent months, our team spent time in its schools and communities, listening to girls, teachers, and families.
What we brought back are not statistics, but stories—glimpses of how silence, myths, and scarcity shape daily life, and how girls and their allies push back.
A Girl at Hilac
At Hilac Primary School, older girls leaned forward, eager to examine the reusable sanitary pads passed around the classroom. They handled them carefully, as if protecting something precious.
Then came the moment that still lingers. A smaller girl, younger than the rest, appeared at the doorway. She had been quiet the whole time, but as the session ended she walked straight up to us and pointed at the last remaining sample. She didn’t speak—she didn’t have to. Her message was clear: I matter too.
That gesture, as small as it was, revealed the quiet insistence of refugee girls. They are not asking for luxuries. They are asking for the chance to belong in the classroom, every day of the month.
Myths, Misconceptions, and the Power of Truth
Over the time spent in Dadaab, we heard directly from Somali and Kenyan teachers about the challenges girls face each month. Many students fear staining their clothes, and some avoid school altogether. Teachers told us that after menstrual health sessions, girls felt more confident in their abilities to track their cycles, manage cramps, and focus on learning.
The barriers run deeper than access. Misconceptions are widespread.
In one training, a teacher shared two deeply held myths with conviction: “If a girl wears a trouser that has been worn by a man, she can become pregnant. Even if she sits on a chair where a man has just been seated, she will conceive.” Others agreed.
At Abdul-Aziz Primary, a Somali deputy headteacher broke through another barrier: the silence of men on menstruation. “Even men should talk about it,” he told us. “If we are giving reusables [sanitary pads] to girls in school, we should also create awareness in the community.” His words challenged a long-standing taboo and signaled hope for broader change.
Turning Lessons into Daily Practice
We also saw how quickly teachers turned lessons into practice. At Friends Primary School, one guided her students through understanding their cycles. Girls who had once been anxious about unexpected bleeding felt relieved knowing how to prepare. Another teacher showed her students ways to manage cramps and hygiene, demonstrating the use and care of reusable pads. Students appreciated learning how to manage pain that once kept them out of class.
Teachers didn’t just repeat Huru’s educational materials. They made it their own—drawing diagrams, using local language, and weaving lessons into practical examples. By reshaping the information, they made sure it truly resonated with the girls.
When Silence Turns Into Questions
Not all learning happens in classrooms. One of our team members—the only man among us—was approached privately by a group of young Somali teachers. During the training sessions they had been silent, but afterward they gathered the courage to ask questions about menstruation and related health issues. Some typed their questions on their phones and passed them to him quietly.
When asked why they hadn’t spoken earlier, they explained that in their environment, asking openly carried risk. Women who challenged social or religious norms could face backlash. Silence felt safer. Only in a smaller circle, with trust established, did they feel free to seek answers.
These young teachers also confided that they struggled to access affordable, quality menstrual products. While expected to guide their students, their own needs often go unmet. Their honesty was a stark reminder: the challenges refugee girls face are shared by the women tasked with teaching them.
Resilience in Dadaab: What Comes Next
Life in Dadaab is shaped by scarcity, but what stays with us most is not what is missing—it is the courage and determination we witnessed. Girls who insist on being seen. Teachers who challenge myths and reshape lessons in ways that stick. And young women who, when given a safe space, ask the questions they’ve held inside for far too long.
What we’ve seen in Dadaab reflects a broader truth: when girls in refugee camps have the right support, they choose school, confidence, and possibility. Our work in these settings is driven by one goal—to make sure no girl’s education is disrupted simply because of her period.
International Day of the Girl
On International Day of the Girl, we honor the girls living in refugee camps and crisis settings. Those whose voices are often unheard, yet whose strength endures. From Dadaab to other corners of the world, school should be their safe space, and no girl should be limited by her period.
Join us. Your generosity helps dismantle harmful myths, open honest conversations, and keep girls learning, every day of the month.
