Repro-Mental Health Program

Goal: Empowering youth in schools through mental & reproductive health education.

The Challenge

In Kenya, mental and reproductive health remain deeply stigmatized and under-addressed — particularly for adolescent girls. Many schools and communities rely on fear-based or incomplete sexual education approaches, leaving youth without accurate information about their bodies, sexual rights, mental well-being, and healthy relationships.

Limited access to reproductive health education and hygiene products contributes to:

  • High rates of teenage pregnancy

  • Poor sexual health outcomes

  • Menstrual stigma and absenteeism

  • Unaddressed mental health challenges

Without intervention, these gaps hinder academic performance, confidence, and long-term opportunity.

Our Response

The Repro-Mental Health Program, an initiative of WWAYI, addresses the intersection of mental health and reproductive health by providing accurate education, essential hygiene supplies, and safe spaces for open dialogue.

We equip young people with knowledge, dignity, and practical resources — enabling them to thrive academically, socially, and economically.

Our Program Model

Three core objectives guide the program:

  • Increase access to hygiene products so girls and boys can fully participate in school.

  • Provide comprehensive reproductive health education to empower youth with accurate knowledge and informed decision-making.

  • Advocate for mental and reproductive health awareness to reduce stigma and foster systemic change.

Hygiene Kit Distribution

WWAYI provides hygiene kits to both girls & boys, including:

Soap, deodorant, nail care items, toilet paper, sanitary towels, underwear, socks, moisturizer toothbrushes, toothpaste,

These kits:

-Reduce absenteeism linked to menstrual challenges.

- Promote dignity & self-confidence

- Foster gender equity by including boys in reproductive health conversation.

Health Education Sessions

We conduct interactive, culturally sensitive sessions covering:

-Life skills & healthy relationships.

-Reproductive health & sexual rights.

-Mental health & emotional resilience.

These sessions encourage open dialogue, dispel myths & normalize conversations around topics often considered taboo.

Teacher & Counselor Training

We train educators and school counselors to sustain conversations around mental & reproductive health, ensuring long-term impact beyond our direct sessions.

🤝 School Partnerships

Our collaboration with schools is central to the program’s success. By working directly with educators & administrators, we reach youth in environments where they are most receptive to learning.

🌟 Repro-Mental Clubs

While workshops spark awareness, many schools lack sustained, safe spaces where students can continue conversations about reproductive health and mental wellness. Without ongoing engagement, stigma persists, misinformation spreads, and students facing pressure or emotional challenges often struggle in silence.

To bridge this gap, we establish Repro-Mental Clubs in partner schools — student-led platforms that promote continuous learning, leadership, and peer support.

The Clubs:

🛡️ Provide safe spaces to discuss reproductive health and mental wellness without stigma.

💪 Equip students with life skills to resist peer pressure and reduce risks of teenage pregnancy and substance abuse.

🌟 Promote leadership, resilience, and academic focus.

🤝 Create peer support systems through mentorship and peer counseling.

📅 How It Works

Our one-year club model includes:

  • Monthly school-based sessions and structured activities

  • Peer-led discussions and mentorship

  • A joint cultural festival and sports day to reinforce awareness through creativity and teamwork.

🏫 School Partnership

Repro-Mental Clubs are implemented in collaboration with school leadership and teachers, in alignment with Ministry of Education guidelines — ensuring sustainability, accountability, and long-term impact.

📊 Program Outcomes

The Repro-Mental program has achieved measurable and meaningful results:

👥 6,500+ youth reached through reproductive health education, with 75% reporting improved understanding of mental & reproductive health, sexual rights & healthy relationships.

🩸3,000+ menstrual hygiene kits distributed, contributing to 40% reduction in absenteeism & increased classroom participation & confidence.

🌟 Introduction of Repro-Mental Clubs in partner schools, creating safe, student-led spaces where youth continue conversations on mental health, reproductive health, leadership & peer support. These clubs strengthen confidence, normalize help-seeking behavior & cultivate young advocates for gender equity and well-being within their schools.

🤝Increased gender awareness & mutual respect among students, with boys actively participating in conversations about menstrual health, consent & gender equity.

📚Improved classroom engagement, as teachers report greater participation, reduced stigma-based teasing& more open dialogue among students.

🌍 Long-Term Sustainable Impact

Through strong school partnerships & systems-based engagement, the program contributes to:

🌟 Repro-Mental Clubs that sustain impact year-round, providing student-led safe spaces for peer education, mentorship, leadership development & ongoing dialogue on reproductive & mental health.

🎓 Improved educational outcomes by keeping youth — especially girls — consistently in school.

⚖️ Stronger gender equity, fostering shared responsibility, respect & accountability among boys & girls.

💼 Breaking cycles of poverty by equipping youth with life skills, reproductive health knowledge & confidence to make informed decisions.

🧠 Normalized mental health awareness, reducing stigma and encouraging early support-seeking behaviors.

🌟 Youth leadership development, cultivating student advocates who champion mental & reproductive health within their schools & communities.

🧠30 mental health workshops conducted, reaching 3,000+ youth, with 80% reporting stronger coping skills, emotional regulation & help-seeking behaviors.

To sign up a school email: info@wwayi.org

🚀 Future Goals

🌍 Expand to 10 additional counties, reaching 1,000+ youth annually with integrated mental and reproductive health education and hygiene support.

👩🏽‍🏫 Train 50+ educators and school counselors each year to embed reproductive and mental health education within school systems.

🎒 Increase hygiene kit distribution to 1,000+ kits annually, ensuring sustained dignity, attendance, and participation for girls and boys.

🌟 Establish and strengthen Repro-Mental Clubs in all partner schools, equipping student leaders with training, mentorship, and resources to facilitate peer education, advocacy, and year-round engagement.

🧠 Deepen school-based mental health programming, including structured peer mentorship, referral pathways, and expanded workshops.

🌺 Our Vision

A generation of informed, confident, and empowered youth — equipped with knowledge, dignity, emotional resilience, and leadership skills to shape healthier futures for themselves and their communities.