A total of 692 adolescents whose mean age is 11.7, 12.9, 14 and 14.6 for grades 5-8. 53% of the participants were girls. A total of 23 schoolteachers and 16 parents took part on the study. Sixty four percent of the participating school teachers and 63% of the parents were male.
Local understanding menstruation: In all the study settings, parents refer to menstruation as ‘legu’, which literally means menstruation contextually it means not clean and distancing oneself from people especially the elders. Talking about sex and sex related regular bleeding [laguu] is a taboo and particularly seen with a stain of blood on dress by parents especially male members of the household is breaking Safu[1] (agreed on norms). As a result, menstruation remains personal issue and girls keep it as their top secret” (KII, 25 year old mother, Adami Tulu). For adolescents talking about menstruation in presence of father and elder brother is considered breaking safu and is sign of disrespect. One of the participants explained that, “Normally, girls are not expected to ask or tell about lagu to family members including mother but probably an elder sister” (KII, 32 years old school teacher, Jibat). Preparation of daughters for healthy menstruation did not come out during discussion with parents particularly mothers. “My mother didn’t tell me what I will encounter as a girl. It happened to me when I was 15 years and was shocking at the beginning but eventually I learnt my own way. Of course, my elder sister who was then married helped me. Unfortunately, I did not tell any of my three daughters all of whom I believe are through now. Our culture makes this a taboo to talk about and as parents we find it difficult to talk” (KII, 42 years old women, Jibat).
My mother did not tell me what I will encounter as a girl: Girls argued to enter puberty without appropriate information about menstruation, how to manage when it occurs and unprepared to cope with it and unsure of when and where to seek help. Reasons were found to include lack of support by adults around them including parents and teachers for these are ill-informed and uncomfortable to discuss about sex, reproduction and menstruation. Before the intervention was started in this school, parents and schoolteachers associate menstruation with dirt, polluting and shameful. The finding reveals that even mothers who went through the same process do not recognize menstruation as normal state of life and do not guide their daughters. One of the participants said, “If my mother has told my sister she would not have felt ashamed. I know my sister was shocked and felt alienated. I do not see why she would be in that state if mom has prepared her” (KII, 16 year schoolgirl, Nono).
Another participant pointed out that, “If we see bloodstain on a girl’s clothe, we lough, tease and bully them. They feel ashamed of this and isolate themselves probably stays at her desk in class until everyone is gone since she is ashamed of this and fear being teased and bullied by us [boys]. We did not know how harmful such action was until intervention started in our school ” (FGD, 14 yea old boy, Dodota).
Implication of sport for life initiative: Participating unanimously reported that Sport for Life activities are valuable not only improving students and school community’s awareness on SRH and gender based discrimination, it was found to have empowered students to seek support and make decisions about their sexual health. One of the participants stated that, “Our classmate boys did not know that we [girls] bleed on a regular basis until this ‘Sport for life’ initiative. During our joint discussion boys told us that they learnt that girls menstruate every month and this is normal and healthy for girls” (FGD, 15 years old Schoolgirl. Yebu).
With the implementation of ‘Sport for Life’ in the school and involvement of male and female students in regular activities, support to female students has improved at school level. Male students from study sites reported to consider menstruation as normal part of life for females. One of the students explained that, “Before my involvement with Sport for Life activities, I felt menstruation is girl’s problem that they have to deal with. Now, all male students have refrained from teasing and are in fact mobilizing money from students and teachers on a regular basis to buy them sanitary pad” (FGD, 15-year schoolboy, Dugdaa). Another student explained that, “I feel bad about how negative I was to a girl two years back, whom my friends and I laughed and teased at for we saw blood on her dress. I remember how embarrassed she was and we never see her again in our school. I regret that – we were wrong Had this sport for life was introduced early more of our sisters wouldn’t have suffered” (14 year old, Nono).
Participants argued that Sport for Life has helped them realize that menstruation is normal life process for girls and the need to support them. One of the participants noted that, “In our group, we realized it is an identity for girls/women. If girls do not menstruate then she is not healthy. This is contrary to what I as well as my friends knew before. Now we learnt our mistakes that all boys in this school are in support of girls in this school and at home. Girls do not fear and feel ashamed any more due to menstruation” (FGD, 14 schoolboy, Dugda). Female students are not teased in connection to menstruation unlike it is usually the case, “I remember one of our classmate encountered menstruation in class. One of our colleagues gave her his jacket to cover herself to walk to the room where should could clean herself. Now, it is not something we [male students] lough about but we help.” (14 years schoolboy, Toke Kutaye).
Through Sport for Life initiative, parental support to their daughters has improved in all settings. What has been considered as a taboo to discuss is not a problem any more at least with mothers. “Although discussing sex including menstruation with parents is considered ‘safuu’ (disrespectful), during school day, parents are educated about the challenges girls encounter in connection to menstruation through drama. Besides, parent are engaged through school-parent committee to discuss on menstruation and its implication on girls academic performance. This has brought useful result where parents now started giving money for purchase of sanitary pad” (KII, 28 Schoolteacher, Yebu). One of the students explained that, “During the school day at the end of academic year, we show drama to parents emphasizing how support from parents, siblings and the school community on menstrual hygiene management would improve girls academic performance and implication of lack of support. Parents expressed regrets for not supporting” (FGD, 14 year schoolgirls, Dugda).
Friendly school environment for girls: The school environment has become so friendly for girls improving girls participation in non-curricular activities and their academic performance. One of the students argued that “Sport for Life did not only removed our worries but girls are now active participating in school activities as leaders of clubs, class monitors and students representative. There is no girl that dropped out of school the last two years neither due to pregnancy or menstruation” (FGD, 14 year, Schoolgirl, Toke Kutaye). Another girl emphasized that “During the last academic year, a girl stood first from the entire school. This is the result of sport for life and am sure this will be the case this year too” (FGD, 15 year schoolgirl, Jibat). Furthermore, school dropout is not a problem during the last two years in the school. One of the participants argued that, “Usually regular menstruation has affected proper class follow up especially with lack of support. Now, with more support there is no reason for girls to drop out of school. During the last two years, no girl student has dropped out of school” (KII, 27 years schoolteacher, Dodota).
Finding shows that students are playing roles in sharing information they gained from ‘Sport for Life’. One of the participants explained this, “Through mini-media, we share such information as HIV, unwanted pregnancy, saving, menstruation, gender based violence and implications to girl’s school performance on a regular basis. This is what we learnt from the ‘sport for life’ activities. This has made the changes wider beyond few of us who participated in the sport for life”(FGD, 14 year schoolboy, Yayo).
Schoolboys who participated in ‘Sport for Life’ suggest the need to expand this initiative to reach out to more students. “I think students who participated in the ‘Sport for Life’ realized our limitation and the problems we posed to our female colleagues. I wish all students in school get same opportunity. It is only that way could sex and menstruation related problems of girls could be solved. ‘Sport for Life’, I found, is a very good initiative that has to expand to all schools in Oromia” (KII, 30 years, schoolteacher, Nono). One of the students who was a member of sport for life club since last year emphasized that, “Only few students participate at a time. As a result, most other students benefit through mini-media teaching. It would be useful if more facilitators are made available” (FGD, 16 year schoolgirl, Yebu). In as much as what is known about sex and menstruation has changed and positive attitudes were built, sustaining access to sanitary pad is argued important. As such one of the participants argued that, “Continuous provision of sanitary pad may be difficult. Perhaps building skills on how to make local sanitary pad may help. These are some experiences on ground as initiated by some NGOs and this may have to expand to ensure access to sanitary pad may not be a concern” (KII, 29 year, schoolteacher, Toke Kutaye).