Ijokua Mesely

Project Team Lead SmartGirlsUG |Advocating for SRHR, menstrual health & gender equality | Empowering girls & youth through mentorship, leadership & community

[HER WORTH FOUNDATION @Her_Worth_fndn]

We are proud to share about a partnership with Smart Girls Uganda to advance menstrual health & dignity for girls in Gulu through EcoJua Smart Bags. Together, we're creating sustainable solutions that empower girls to manage their periods with confidence,stay in school & thrive.

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

At the exhibition stall today during the International Menstrual Health and Hygiene Day 2026 National Conference at UNICEF Conference Hall, Kampala, we will be showcasing our EcoJua SmartBags, a practical innovation designed to support girls in managing menstruation with dignity while staying in school.

Each EcoJua SmartBag contains reusable pads, a small pack for safe disposal of used pads, a solar-powered light bulb for reading at night, and a menstrual health booklet to help girls learn more about their bodies and menstrual health.

This is part of our commitment to tackling period poverty through practical, affordable, and sustainable solutions for girls.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg• @UNICEFUganda• @EUinUG•@IrlEmbUganda •@IriseEastAfrica •@AWYAD_UG
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

Robin Nandy, Country Representative of @UNICEFUganda, emphasized that menstruation should never be a barrier to learning, health, dignity, or opportunity for girls and women.

He noted that menstrual health is not just a private matter, but an issue of public health, education, gender equality, and human rights that requires collective action from government, communities, schools, partners, and families.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg• @UNICEFUganda• @EUinUG•@IrlEmbUganda •@IriseEastAfrica •@AWYAD_UG
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

He also called for stronger systems, financing, and partnerships to ensure every girl can manage menstruation safely, confidently, and with dignity.

He highlighted the need for affordable menstrual products, stronger WASH services, improved accountability, and sustained investment in menstrual health, noting that investing in menstrual health is investing in the future of children, communities, and the nation.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg• @UNICEFUganda• @EUinUG•@IrlEmbUganda •@IriseEastAfrica •@AWYAD_UG
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

Anne Mbeiza, Gender and Equity Technical Advisor at the @IrlEmbUganda, highlighted that menstruation should never limit a girl’s access to education, participation, or opportunity.

She noted that challenges such as limited access to affordable menstrual products, inadequate WASH facilities, stigma, harmful social norms, and lack of information continue to affect girls’ confidence, attendance, and learning outcomes—especially in rural, refugee-hosting, and hard-to-reach communities.

She further called for stronger financing, implementation, data systems, and sustained community engagement to ensure menstrual health commitments translate into real impact, stressing that policies alone are not enough.

“Policies alone are not enough. We must ensure adequate financing, stronger implementation, improved data systems, and sustained community engagement,” she noted.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg• @UNICEFUganda• @EUinUG•@IrlEmbUganda •@IriseEastAfrica •@AWYAD_UG
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld”

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

Permanent Secretary, @Educ_SportsUg, Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda called for stronger school systems, leadership, and shared responsibility to ensure every learner studies with dignity and safety. She emphasized that menstrual health must be integrated across schools, teachers, parents, and communities so no girl misses education because of her period.

She also reminded stakeholders that “decision determines destiny,” urging young people to stay focused, resilient, and committed to their education despite challenges.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg•@UNICEFUganda•@EUinUG•@IrlEmbUganda•@IriseEastAfrica•@AWYAD_UG
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

She also highlighted that menstrual health is a shared responsibility requiring schools, teachers, parents, and boys to all play a role in protecting girls’ dignity and learning. She called for safe WASH facilities, school-based support systems, teacher involvement, and stronger accountability to make schools truly period-friendly.

She further stressed that when girls miss school during menstruation, they miss life opportunities, and investing in their dignity is investing in the future of the nation.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg•@UNICEFUganda•@EUinUG•@IrlEmbUganda•@IriseEastAfrica•@AWYAD_UG
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

We successfully showcased our Ecojua SmartBags at the exhibition, highlighting our work in supporting girls in rural areas with reusable pads, menstrual health education, safe storage packs, and solar lighting to promote learning with dignity.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg•@UNICEFUganda•@EUinUG•@IrlEmbUganda•@IriseEastAfrica•@AWYAD_UG

#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

Today, we join the @Educ_SportsUg and other stakeholders at the celebration of International Menstrual Health Hygiene Day 2026 National Conference taking place at the UNICEF Conference Hall, Kampala.

Under the theme “Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld,” the conversation continues on strengthening policy, accountability, and access to menstrual health solutions for all learners.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg• @UNICEFUganda•
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

Hajjat Safina Mutumba representing the director of basic and secondary education in the @Educ_SportsUg emphasized that menstrual hygiene is not just a health issue, but an education, dignity, and equality issue affecting thousands of girls across Uganda.

She highlighted that many girls still miss school due to lack of sanitary materials, inadequate WASH facilities, stigma, and limited psychosocial support, calling for stronger accountability and sustained investment in menstrual health for learners.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg• @UNICEFUganda•
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

She appreciated development partners including @IrlEmbUganda @UNICEFUganda , @UNESCO , the @EUinUG , and the EU-UN @GlobalSpotlight Gender for Development programme for supporting menstrual health, school WASH infrastructure, life skills, and gender-responsive education across Uganda.

“A period-friendly world is not built in conference halls. It is built in classrooms,” she noted, calling for collective action to ensure every girl manages her period with dignity and stays in school.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg• @UNICEFUganda•
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

Juliet, representing the @EUinUG , emphasized that no girl should miss school, feel ashamed, or be put at risk because of her period.

She highlighted menstrual health as a matter of dignity, education, and gender equality, and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment—together with partners—to improving WASH facilities, protecting girls from barriers to learning, and ensuring access to health and support services.

She also shared impact under the Gender for Development Uganda programme, including support reaching over 5,000 vulnerable adolescent girls in Northern Uganda with menstrual hygiene materials and cash support to help them stay in school, and nearly 1,800 out-of-school adolescents (more than half girls) supported to return to learning through accelerated education programmes.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg• @UNICEFUganda• @EUinUG• @NLinUganda• @KCCAUG• @Mglsd_UG
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

Dr. Kebirungi Harriet delivered a powerful keynote stressing that menstruation is a normal biological process that has too often been treated as a crisis, stigma, or silence — and must instead be addressed as a systemic issue requiring action across all sectors.

She emphasized that menstrual health is not a “women’s issue,” but an education, equity, and development challenge that demands collective responsibility to end stigma, improve WASH infrastructure, and ensure girls can stay in school with dignity.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg• @UNICEFUganda•
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

She called for stronger investment in data, research, and evidence-based policy, noting that limited published research and weak data systems continue to undermine effective planning and financing for menstrual health in Uganda.

Dr. Kebirungi further urged integration of menstrual health into curricula, national budgets, and institutional systems, stressing that real progress requires moving from dialogue to action, accountability, and sustained investment across all sectors.

Cc @GlobalSpotlight•@Educ_SportsUg• @UNICEFUganda•
#MHMDay2026 | #PeriodFriendlyWorld

[Ijokua Mesely @ijokua]

Proud moment! 🎓 Today, we celebrate the incredible young women of Smart Girls Uganda as they graduate from the Girls With Tools & Girls in Tech programs. From technical skills to digital innovation, they’re breaking barriers and shaping the future! 💜💪🏽

#SmartGirlsGrad2025

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

🎓 It’s Graduation Day! 🎉

Today, we celebrate the incredible young women and boys from our Girls With Tools and Girls in Tech programs as they graduate, ready to shape the future with their skills and ambition!

From mastering technical trades to bridging the digital divide, these trailblazers are breaking barriers and proving that no field is off-limits.

#SmartGirlsGrad2025 | #GirlsWithTools | #GirlsInTech

[Rwi 🎄 @RytahUg]

Good morning from @smartgirlsug. The situation is very jovial, it's graduation day for the #GirlsWithTools

#MTNFoundation
#TogetherWeAreUnstoppable

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

It’s all happening! Graduands are arriving, the tents are filling up, and our HCD students are setting the stage with impressive innovations. Today, we celebrate skills, creativity, and the power of possibility!

#SmartGirlsGrad2025 | #GirlsWithTools | #MTNFoundation

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

Our journey to promote dignified menstruation among school girls continues!

Yesterday, we carried out another Needs Assessment at Bugimba Primary School together with Raising Teenagers Uganda under the Cewas Female Health & Hygiene Accelerator Transformation Project — identifying menstrual health challenges and providing the necessary support to keep girls in school.

With continued support from EA Foundation, 20 girls received EcoJua Smart Bags equipped with reusable pads, menstrual health booklets, and solar panels — empowering them to manage their periods with dignity and study without limitations.

Every bag is more than just a product — it’s a symbol of change and an investment in a girl’s future.

Together, we’re ensuring that periods never stand in the way of education! 💪
#SmartGirlsUg | #EndPeriodPoverty

[Smart Girls Uganda @smartgirlsug]

We conducted a Monitoring & Evaluation activity at NYAKA Primary School in Rukungiri, where 10 girls received Ecojua Smart Bags in July 2024.

Five girls have successfully joined NYAKA Vocational Secondary School, while the remaining five have not missed any school day for two terms — a testament to how menstrual health solutions are keeping girls in school. 💪🏽

Join us in breaking period poverty. ✊🏽
#SmartGirlsUg | #EndPeriodPoverty