KAMPALA, Uganda — Every month, thousands of Ugandan schoolgirls face a challenge that extends beyond the classroom. For many, the inability to afford sanitary products means missing lessons, falling behind academically and enduring stigma during a natural stage of life.
It is this reality that has inspired Fred Ssenoga Bagenda, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Union Transport Alliance (UTA), to spearhead efforts aimed at reducing menstrual poverty through the organisation’s Kili Clear Union Sanitary Pads initiative.
For Ssenoga, menstrual health is not merely a women’s issue or a matter of hygiene. It is an education, health and social justice issue that directly affects girls’ ability to learn and fulfil their potential.
“A girl should not lose her confidence, miss school or limit her dreams because she cannot access menstrual hygiene products. Menstrual health is not just about a product; it is about dignity, education and opportunity,” Ssenoga says.
His campaign seeks to place menstrual health at the centre of national conversations about girls’ education and empowerment.
Although menstruation is a normal biological process, many girls across Uganda continue to face significant challenges in managing it safely and with dignity.
The high cost of sanitary products, limited access to menstrual hygiene supplies and persistent social stigma force many learners to stay home during their monthly periods. Others attend school but struggle to participate confidently in class or extracurricular activities.
The cumulative effect of repeated absenteeism can negatively affect academic performance, self-esteem and long-term educational outcomes.
Increasingly, educators and public health experts recognise menstrual hygiene as an important factor in improving girls’ school attendance, retention and overall wellbeing.
Ssenoga believes that addressing these everyday barriers is essential to achieving meaningful empowerment.
“When we talk about empowering girls, we must also talk about the conditions that allow them to stay in school, participate confidently and achieve their goals,” he says.
At the heart of UTA’s intervention is the Kili Clear Union Sanitary Pads programme, which aims to improve access to affordable menstrual hygiene products for girls and women across Uganda.
The organisation has also promoted the “One Million Girls, One Million Pads” campaign, an initiative intended to expand access to menstrual products while raising awareness about menstrual health.
For Ssenoga, however, the programme’s success cannot simply be measured by the number of pads distributed.
“The value of this initiative is not measured only by the number of products produced. It is measured by the number of girls who remain in school, the confidence they gain and the opportunities they are able to pursue,” he explains.
Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that menstruation never becomes a reason for a girl to miss school or abandon her aspirations.
Schools remain the frontline in addressing menstrual poverty.
Teachers regularly witness the impact when girls miss classes because they lack access to menstrual products. Parents often struggle with the financial burden of purchasing sanitary supplies, while many learners continue to manage menstruation in environments where adequate support is limited.
Missing several school days each month can accumulate into substantial learning losses over the course of a school year, affecting both academic performance and confidence.
Ssenoga argues that meaningful interventions must reach girls where they spend most of their time—in schools and within their communities.
“If we want to protect the future of our children, we must address the challenges that prevent them from fully participating in education today,” he says.
What distinguishes Ssenoga’s approach is his conviction that Uganda’s extensive transport network can be leveraged to deliver social impact alongside economic services.
Boda boda riders, taxi operators and bus companies reach communities daily, including areas where access to essential products can be limited.
Rather than viewing transport solely as a means of moving passengers and goods, Ssenoga believes the existing network can also facilitate the distribution of health products and support community-based initiatives.
“Transport is not only about moving people from one place to another. It is also about connecting communities with opportunities and solutions that address everyday challenges,” he says.
Under this vision, transport operators become partners in community development, helping bridge gaps in access to essential services.
Ssenoga believes tackling menstrual poverty requires collaboration between government, schools, development partners, communities and responsible private-sector organisations.
While public institutions play a critical role in improving adolescent health, businesses also have an opportunity to contribute solutions that create lasting social impact.
“The private sector must look beyond business. We must ask ourselves what problems are affecting our people and how innovation can help solve them,” he says.
His philosophy reflects a growing recognition that businesses can pursue commercial success while contributing to national development and improving lives.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of UTA’s menstrual health initiative will be judged not by publicity but by measurable outcomes.
Success will be reflected in more girls attending school consistently, increased confidence among learners, improved access to affordable menstrual hygiene products and stronger community support for menstrual health.
Important questions remain:
- How many schools will be reached?
- How many girls will benefit from the initiative?
- Can the distribution model be sustained over the long term?
- How effectively will it reach vulnerable learners in rural and underserved communities?
The answers will determine the programme’s long-term contribution to Uganda’s efforts to improve menstrual health and keep girls in school.
Fred Ssenoga’s vision invites Ugandans to see transport as more than infrastructure for commerce.
It can also become a vehicle for delivering health services, expanding educational opportunities and restoring dignity to girls who face preventable barriers to learning.
For thousands of schoolgirls, something as simple as access to a sanitary pad can mean the difference between staying home and staying in class. Through initiatives like Kili Clear Union Sanitary Pads, Union Transport Alliance hopes that no girl’s education or future will be limited by menstrual poverty.
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