Tigist

Tigist is 14 years old and serves as the secretary of her school’s Gender Club. When she was younger, Tigist wasn’t able to attend school due to finances, but now she is coming to the end of her sixth grade school year. “Being able to attend school is the best thing that has happened to me. It’s like coming out of the darkness,” she says.

Tigist enjoys reading fiction books and watching animated movies. English is her favorite subject in school—she is a good communicator and does well academically. When she grows up, she wants to be a civil engineer so she can contribute to Ethiopia’s development.

Tigist has experienced first-hand the change in her school’s facilities since Splash began working there. Before, there was not sufficient water and the water they did have was not treated. She says the toilets were not clean and there was no waste bin for girls to throw away their pads. This changed after Splash came to her school – now there is water storage, and all water is purified and safe to drink. Additionally, toilet stalls have been refurbished according to Splash’s guidelines for child-friendly (and girl-friendly) facilities: with locking doors, waste bins, mirrors, running water and soap, and lighting and ventilation.

Tigist standing by her school's drinking water stations, installed by Splash

Another part of Splash’s work at Tigist’s school is menstrual health and hygiene education. When Tigist had her first period, she says she was afraid to tell her family, so she told her friend instead. Her friend showed her how to use a sanitary pad. She wants to make sure other girls know what she didn’t: that having a period is a natural thing and one should not be ashamed of it.

Tigist’s teacher, Ms. Fre, told her about the Gender Club, and Tigist wanted to join. Her family was not yet convinced, however. They were worried that she would spend too much time on Gender Club activities and her academic performance would suffer as a result. She shared this concern with Ms. Fre, who spoke with Tigist’s family. After that discussion, her family was assured that the Gender Club would be a good experience that would also give Tigist additional knowledge.

Tigist enjoys teaching other students about the importance of menstrual health and hygiene, especially those who haven’t yet had their first period. Some of the other topics she learned about and shares with others are the importance of keeping menstrual hygiene, safe disposal of sanitary pads after usage, eating iron-rich foods during menstruation, and breaking common taboos like learning that exercising during your period is safe.

Being in the Gender Club means attending teacher-led trainings and then cascading that knowledge through peer-to-peer trainings. Tigist says some of the girls were hesitant to attend the peer-to-peer trainings, but she takes pride in sharing information, so she asks them to attend just one session. She describes the importance of the training and emphasizes its benefits. After attending the first session, she says the girls become interested and get involved with other peer-to-peer sessions.

Tigist's journey embodies resilience and dedication, overcoming financial barriers to embrace education. She champions menstrual health and hygiene education, catalyzing transformative change within her community. Tigist's aspirations reflect her commitment to Ethiopia's development, highlighting the transformative power of education and collective action in shaping a brighter future.