The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has donated dignity packs to a school in Homa Bay in an initiative meant to maintain learners’ personal hygiene and improve school attendance.

The packs which were given to Anyora Primary School contained 230 sanitary towels, 216 underpants all medium size, toothbrushes, toothpaste and Detrax soaps.

County NEMA Director Josiah Nyandoro said this was the first ever programme in Homa Bay where learners were provided with underpants out of the Authority’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

“We considered providing the children with the underpants after a medical practitioner mentioned that one cannot give sanitary pads without having to compliment them with pants,” he said.

The director said with the help of partners and stakeholders, they were also able to donate a total of 4, 000 assorted tree seedlings together with two tanks of 10, 000 litres each for rooftop rain water harvesting.

He said with the two tanks, the learners would not lack water for watering the seedlings to ensure their growth.

“The reason for the tanks is to help the learners’ access water through roof catchment to water the seedlings for their hygiene,” he noted.

This is not the only school which has benefitted from such initiatives by NEMA. In the recent past, the Authority also donated two tanks of the same capacities to Agiro Primary school in Rusinga as well as fencing materials to secure the school.

The seedlings were distributed among the learners who planted them within the school compound.

“The 4, 000 seedlings planted by the children will go a long way in increasing forest cover in Homa Bay. We are currently at 3.18 per cent,” Nyandoro noted.

He urged the teachers to supervise their learners and ensure the seedlings are nurtured to maturity.

“Every learner who has been given seedlings should ensure they nurture them to maturity,” he said, reiterating that those who would effectively do so would be awarded with certificates.

An officer from Ramula Education Office within Rachuonyo East Sub-County Milka Adhiambo lauded NEMA for the dignity packs adding that some of the girls were from needy families and that they have been missing school a number of times due to lack of sanitary towels.

She said that with the personal items, the academic performance of the girls would improve since they will not have a reason to miss classes.

The school’s Board of Management Chairperson Adonijo Obunda Seda was also grateful for the seedlings and promised to help in ensuring the trees are well cared for.