Creating Confidence: Health Education and Dignity Kits for Youth on Mageta Island

Beyond Limitations, our dedicated community-based partner in Kenya, recently hosted a series of sexual health education sessions for students at Siki and Mitundu Schools on Mageta Island. Led by trained facilitators, boys and girls met in small, separate groups to openly discuss their questions and challenges around sexuality.

The youth were eager to learn. They asked about relationships, how pregnancy occurs, what menstruation is, and how to prevent sexually transmitted infections. Facilitators emphasized the importance of respect, consent, and responsibility in relationships.

As part of these conversations, the girls expressed a clear need for menstrual supplies, soap, and underwear. The boys, too, shared that they lacked basic essentials—many said they simply needed underwear.

In response, during our recent visit to Kenya, we partnered with Betty, a talented local seamstress in Bondo, to create kits we named Better Now—a nod both to Betty’s thoughtful design and the urgency of meeting the need now. The kits, designed like shoulder bags, include reusable menstrual pads, shields, underwear, and a discreet pouch for used pads. We were proud to distribute 112 kits to girls on the island. Based on their feedback, we’ll now include soap in every kit as well.

The boys’ voices were equally important. Their request for underwear speaks to a broader need for inclusion, dignity, and shared responsibility.

How you can help: We are seeking donations to fund:

• Soap for all students receiving kits

• Underwear for the boys

• Continued production and distribution of Better Now kits

Your support will empower young people to stay in school, build confidence, and feel valued—every single day.