Union Transport Alliance Launches One Million Pad for One Million Girls Campaign

Union Transport Alliance has launched a campaign against ‘period poverty’ that will help address high countrywide school dropouts by girls and also check teenage pregnancy. Under the KILI CLEAR Campaign, Union Transport Alliance (UNION), in partnership with The Mental Health Awareness Initiative (TMHAI) launched the campaign’s flagship corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, “1 Million Pads for 1 Million Girls”, “The cause is big. We have stories of girls failing to go to school because of a lack of enough menstrual packs, and that dropout rate is partly responsible for the high teenage pregnancy rates we have in the country of 25%,” remarked Dr Richard Mugahi, the Commissioner for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health at the Uganda Ministry of Health. “some of the hurdles girls face are a lack of a comprehensive approach towards their menstrual issues, and we want to use the opportunity as we give out the pads to discuss their health and how they can handle their early reproductive life. Menstrual health is not just about providing sanitary products; it is about protecting the health, dignity, and future of our girls.”he added. Dr Richard Mugahi hailed The Uganda Transport Alliance for using their countrywide network to support girls’ hygiene and education. Fred Ssenoga Union CEO said campaign was introduced to make high-quality, affordable sanitary pads accessible to women and girls. The “1 Million Pads for 1 Million Girls” initiative now extends that vision further to ensure that Uganda’s most vulnerable girls receive sanitary pads, enabling them to stay in school with dignity and confidence. He said across Uganda, period poverty remains one of the leading contributors to poor academic performance and absenteeism, with 1 out of 4 girls dropping out of school. Through this initiative, Union and TMHAI aim to mobilize public and private sector support to distribute one million Union sanitary pad packs to one million girls. “Today, we are taking our promise to make sanitary pads affordable for every woman and girl even further. Through the ‘1 Million Pads for 1 Million Girls’ initiative, we are not only providing affordable products but also reaching girls who cannot afford them at all. This is a national movement to ensure that no girl ever misses school because of her period.”Senoga stated The initiative will support Uganda’s National Menstrual Health Guidelines by expanding access to menstrual hygiene products, promoting menstrual health awareness, and contributing to improved educational outcomes for girls. MP Ojok said period poverty is deeply connected to the wider challenges of poverty in communities. “When you look at regions like Karamoja, West Nile, and other underserved areas, you see that the burden is even greater.” Period poverty refers to the lack of access to menstrual products, clean water, private sanitation facilities and basic education about menstrual health. “I commend the partners for creating a campaign where contributions can be tracked from the donor to the beneficiary school. Transparency and accountability are critical in building trust and ensuring real impact.” A donation of UGX 20,000 provides one pack of 100 Union Sanitary Pads—enough to support one girl for an entire year. Contributions can be made by dialing *289*9#, with donors able to support schools of their choice or Union-designated beneficiary schools. Today’s sanitary pad initiative follows another recent launch of an all-in-one daily mobile phone bundle designed specifically for Uganda’s informal sector. Uganda’s transport sector—long fragmented, informal, and under served—has lacked the structure, financing, and coordination needed to unlock its full economic potential.