Comfort for Kenyan girls

In Kendu Bay, a small, impoverished town in western Kenya, 70% of the population lives on less than a dollar a day.

This number also applies to the percentage of students — mostly girls — who will not surpass an eighth-grade education.

“This is because families have no money for panties or sanitary pads, so girls stay home during their menstrual periods or quit school altogether,” said Kat Gianesin, a Laguna resident who implemented the grass roots charity, Kenya Self-Help Project.

“The schools’ poor latrine facilities lack privacy, which also discourages girls from attending.”

The mission of the nonprofit since its inception in 1998 has been to make an immediate and long-term impact to reverse the cycles of poverty while promoting self-sufficiency and community participation.

Composed of various tiers, the group supports initiatives for student scholarships, girls’ health and social empowerment, and family livelihood.

“Our goal is to get kids back and school and keep them there,” Gianesin said.

A pocket of the world where HIV/AIDS is running rampant, another goal is to educate youth about the disease.

In efforts to raise funds for the project, members of the organization will host “Cardio for Kenya,” a two-hour fitness benefit from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday in collaboration with the Art of Fitness, 1080 S. Coast Hwy.

The gym’s team of trainers will donate the facility and their time to three simultaneous classes: spinning, cardio kickboxing and cardio weightlifting. The event will also hold a silent auction and raffles, thanks to donations made by local restaurants and boutiques.

“It’s exciting to see the community come together for a great cause,” Gianesin said. “In this tough economy, it’s a neat experience to see people so willing to give.”

The entry fee is a donation in any amount.

All of the proceeds will benefit the organization, and will likely be used for “dignity kits,” which provide destitute girls with panties, tampons and reusable pads.

Volunteers have also developed a concept of sewing reusable sanitary pads from local materials, in order to create a self-sustaining system for the women of Kendu Bay.

For more information about KSHP, or to make a donation, visit www.kenya-help.org.