By Brian Mugenyi
mugenyijj@gmail.com
KAMPALA, UGANDA — For many Ugandan girls, the journey to education is not only determined by classrooms, teachers or textbooks. Sometimes, it is interrupted by something as natural as menstruation.
Behind the walls of schools across the country is a silent battle — a struggle faced by girls who miss lessons, lose confidence and sometimes withdraw from education because they cannot afford safe menstrual hygiene products.
It is this hidden development challenge that Fred Ssenoga, the Chief Executive Officer of Union Transport Alliance (UTA), wants to confront through an ambitious social enterprise initiative — Union Sanitary Pads, launched under the Kili Clear Campaign.
For Ssenoga, the sanitary pad is not just a consumer product.
It is a tool for restoring dignity.
It is an investment in Uganda’s girl child.
And it is a business opportunity where social impact and economic transformation meet.
Inspired by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s philosophy in Sowing the Mustard Seed that great transformation begins from small but purposeful investments, Ssenoga believes Union Sanitary Pads can grow from a simple idea into a national movement against what he describes as the “monster called period poverty.”
“We are targeting students because education should never stop because of menstruation. Every girl deserves to remain in school with dignity, confidence and good health,” Ssenoga said.
The launch at the Uganda Media Centre, presided over by Uganda Media Centre Executive Director Mr. Allan Kasujja, attracted transport sector leaders, women organisations, development partners, corporate representatives and newly elected Members of Parliament.
A major highlight of the event was the unveiling of Ms. Daina Ampaire as the official face of the Union Sanitary Pads – Kili Clear Campaign.
Ampaire will spearhead awareness campaigns aimed at encouraging schools, communities, companies and development partners to support menstrual hygiene among girls.
“No girl should miss school because she cannot afford a sanitary pad. I am honoured to serve as the face of this campaign, and I will work with Union Transport Alliance and our partners to ensure these products reach schools and vulnerable communities across Uganda,” Ampaire said.
A Shs20,000 Investment in a Girl’s Future
At the centre of Ssenoga’s intervention is affordability.
He announced that schools and learners would access Union Sanitary Pads at Shs20,000 per package, designed to support a learner’s menstrual hygiene needs for an entire year.
The initiative also introduces digital accessibility through mobile payment technology, allowing customers to purchase the products by dialing *289*9#.
For Ssenoga, affordability is the bridge between a girl staying in class and a girl missing her education.
“Union Sanitary Pads are more than a product. They are an investment in Uganda’s girls, women’s health and the country’s future workforce. Every girl who stays in school because she has access to menstrual hygiene products is one more young Ugandan empowered to contribute to national development,” he said.
The Monster Called Period Poverty
Uganda’s menstrual health challenge exists within a wider global development conversation.
According to UNICEF, millions of adolescent girls worldwide continue to miss school, work or social activities because they cannot manage menstruation safely and with dignity.
The challenge is not only about access to sanitary products.
It is also linked to sanitation facilities, menstrual health information, affordability and social attitudes surrounding menstruation.
UNESCO has similarly promoted menstrual hygiene management programmes aimed at creating supportive school environments where girls can participate fully in education.
In Uganda, menstrual health advocates have repeatedly called for stronger investment in keeping girls in school through improved access to hygiene products and education.
During a recent dialogue for health journalists attended by this writer, Ms. Noor Nakibuuka Musisi, Deputy Executive Director for Programs at the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), emphasised that menstrual hygiene should be viewed beyond a health issue.
According to Ms. Nakibuuka, menstruation is also a matter of human rights, dignity and equality because barriers affecting girls’ menstrual health can limit their participation in education and society.
CEHURD, a Ugandan health rights and human rights organisation, focuses on sexual and reproductive health rights, women and girls’ health, advocacy, research and community empowerment.
Her perspective reinforces the argument that menstrual hygiene is not simply a personal challenge for girls but a national development issue.
A Nationwide Mission Covering Uganda’s Regions
Union Transport Alliance says the Kili Clear Campaign will target communities across Uganda where menstrual hygiene challenges remain pronounced.
The planned coverage includes:
Karamoja, West Nile, Acholi, Lango, Teso, Busoga, Bukedi, Bunyoro, Rwenzori, Tororo, Kigezi, Central Region, Ankole, Sebei and Bugisu.
The intervention comes at a time when Uganda has a large population of school-going girls requiring supportive learning environments.
According to the Ministry of Education and Sports Education Statistical Abstract 2025, Uganda’s secondary school enrolment stands at 2,044,586 learners, with female learners accounting for 51.6 percent.
This represents more than one million female learners, most of whom fall within the adolescent age bracket where menstrual health support remains critical.
For UTA, reaching these communities represents both a social mission and an opportunity to build a sustainable Ugandan enterprise.
Why Investors Should Pay Attention
For investors, Ssenoga’s vision goes beyond sanitary pads.
He believes Union Sanitary Pads represents a model where commercial sustainability meets social transformation.
Across the world, impact investors are increasingly supporting businesses that solve social challenges while creating economic value.
Enterprises addressing education, healthcare, gender equality and essential consumer needs are attracting attention because they combine profitability with measurable community impact.
Union Transport Alliance believes its existing transport network provides a strategic advantage in distributing products across urban and rural communities.
The company’s vision is to combine transport, manufacturing, distribution and digital innovation to create a nationwide ecosystem.
Business Partnerships for Social Change
Speaking during the launch, Margret Nasuwa, Brand Marketing Manager at Ruka Pay, said the partnership with Union Transport Alliance represents more than sponsorship.
“Our partnership with Union Transport Alliance goes beyond sponsorship. It is a commitment to investing in girls’ education, women’s health and Uganda’s future. When businesses support menstrual hygiene, they are investing in stronger communities, a healthier workforce and sustainable economic growth,” Nasuwa said.
She added:
“Investing in the girl child is investing in the future of our nation. By supporting menstrual health today, we are helping to build a healthier, better educated and more productive Uganda tomorrow.”
Nasuwa pledged continued cooperation to ensure Union Sanitary Pads reach schools and communities across Uganda.
Growing the Mustard Seed of Dignity
For Fred Ssenoga, Union Sanitary Pads represent a beginning.
A small seed.
A seed of dignity.
A seed of opportunity.
A seed of investment.
His invitation is directed not only to consumers but also to investors, development partners and private sector players who believe businesses can become instruments of national transformation.
“President Museveni’s mustard seed philosophy teaches us that great transformation begins with small investments. Union Sanitary Pads are our mustard seed. We invite investors, development partners and the private sector to join us in growing it into a movement that changes lives across Uganda,” Ssenoga said.
As the Kili Clear Campaign expands, the bigger message is clear:
A sanitary pad may appear small, but for a girl fighting to remain in school, it represents dignity, confidence and a future.
The post Beyond the Pad: Fred Ssenoga’s Mustard Seed Revolution to Defeat Period Poverty and Keep Uganda’s Girls in School appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.