In Lilongwe District, Malawi, many girls face a difficult choice each month: attend school while trying to manage their period in inadequate facilities, or stay home and miss valuable learning time. Fear of staining their uniforms, being teased by classmates, and having nowhere private to change often kept girls away from school, creating a significant barrier to their education.

“Every month we would see a reduction in class attendance among adolescent girls, and we knew this was due to them staying home because there was nowhere for them to manage their menstrual hygiene at school,” recalls Goodwin Chakholoma, Head Teacher at Mphetsankhuli Primary School.

To address this challenge, CPAR’s Freedom to Learn initiative partnered with six primary schools in the area to improve sanitation infrastructure, with projects ranging from constructing girls’ change rooms and private latrines to installing handwashing stations and rainwater harvesting systems. These investments form part of CPAR’s broader effort to remove barriers to girls’ education with menstrual health initiatives that provide girls with education, resources, and practical tools to manage their periods safely and confidently.

For Rhoda Kamtokoso, a 14-year-old Grade 7 student at Mphetsankhuli Primary School, the impact has been life-changing. “I always missed classes every month when I was menstruating because there weren’t any private spaces,” she says. “Now things are better because of the new girls’ change room.”

The improvements have benefited the wider school community as well. A 14-year-old student at Mchoka Primary School recalls the challenges caused by overcrowded and poorly maintained facilities. “We used to have a long queue waiting for someone to come out from a latrine because there were so few facilities and they were in such poor condition,” she explains. With too few usable toilets, some students resorted to relieving themselves in nearby bushes, creating health and safety concerns for everyone.

Today, students at these schools have access to cleaner, more private sanitation facilities. Long queues have been reduced, hygiene has improved, and girls are attending school more consistently. Most importantly, they no longer have to choose between managing their periods and pursuing their education. Instead, they are free to learn with confidence, dignity, and greater opportunity for success.