Uni assignment tackles period poverty in Zambia

For most college students, the end of the semester means turning in a paper and waiting for a grade.

For six University of Sydney medical science students, that meant distributing 1,000 menstrual cups to girls in rural Zambia, helping fight menstrual poverty and boosting school attendance half a world away.

The project started as a class exercise asking students to find a solution to a health problem anywhere in the world.

Rather than leaving the idea on paper, the group raised more than $4,000 by sourcing reusable menstrual cups from China.

They then worked with health and education authorities in Zambia to conduct a public education campaign, managed international customs processes, and delivered the products to two schools in the remote Chipangali district.

The effect was seen immediately.

Local officials say the project has resulted in a “measurable improvement in absenteeism” among menstruating girls and also improved educational outcomes.

According to Chipangali Municipal Council Secretary Faustina Manjombi, the education campaign was very important.

“Public education is really important,” he says.

“There are some fears and cultural perceptions about cups that we need to dispel in this society, but the cups have been well received and girls are using them.”

For Zambian international student Misozi Olivie Lubusha, the project was never just about completing a university course.

He had witnessed firsthand the inequities in his country’s healthcare system.

While shadowing doctors at a public hospital in Lusaka, she met women who faced months-long waits for diagnostic tests they couldn’t afford privately.

He also saw rural health centers with only two nurses caring for thousands of people without basic medicines.

These experiences helped shape both her ambition to become a doctor and the group’s decision to fight menstrual poverty.

“We wanted something that would make a real impact,” Ms. Lubusha says.

Studies have shown that girls miss school because they do not have access to hygiene products.

Disposable pads helped temporarily, but menstrual cups offered a sustainable solution that could last for years.

“We believe that no girl should be prevented from reaching her full educational potential because of something beyond their control,” Ms Lubusha told AAP.

The daughter of Zambian MP Andrew Lubusha hopes to study medicine after graduating this year and says the experience has strengthened her resolve to return home and serve others.

“I recognize the privilege I have,” he says.

“My plan is to use this world-class education and ultimately take it back home to empower other people.”

He says his desire to serve is based on the belief that everyone has a purpose and responsibility to help others.

This philosophy is also reflected in the project’s name, OUUN2, which is derived from an African concept meaning “I am because we are.”

Senior lecturer Martin Brown says the project, completed in just 13 weeks, represents more than just a passing grade.

It offers a compelling reminder at a time when artificial intelligence is fueling fears about the future of work and whether young people will remain disconnected or unemployed.

These are uniquely human qualities that machines cannot replicate: empathy, judgment, perseverance, and determination to solve important problems.

Watching students turn an assignment into an international public health initiative challenges many assumptions about the next generation, Mr. Brown says.

“Young children get a bad rap,” he tells AAP.

“They are so thoughtful… they care about everything.”

Rather than asking students to write traditional essays, Mr. Bown wanted them to grapple with real problems and practical solutions.

“I want to put the reins in their hands and ask them to interact with the world the way they want,” he says.

The period poverty project quickly became one of the most ambitious projects he had ever seen.

Students researched, organized fundraisers, signed up friends and family, and after falling behind their financial goals, secured a discounted shipment of menstrual cups from Chinese manufacturer Natari.

They even examined how the United Nations moves humanitarian supplies through customs to get them into Zambia.

“They researched the problems, took action where necessary, built relationships, analyzed what the barriers were,” Mr. Brown says.

“Nothing surprised them; anything that came up, they just worked around it.”

The students knew they could not solve all the health problems faced in rural Zambia. Instead, they looked for a problem where a relatively simple intervention could make a lasting difference.

The group worked with local officials to develop educational materials in local languages ​​and address cultural concerns about menstrual cups, helping to ensure these materials were actually used once they arrived.

Mr Bown believes such projects are becoming even more valuable as artificial intelligence reshapes learning.

“AI is disrupting higher education because it does all the low-level thinking stuff so well,” he says.

“I think we need to ensure that our students focus on skills like judgment, critical thinking, and research and collaboration.”

“It’s not an article in that sense. You really have to make something happen.”

Students are already researching future shipments to Zambia.

Their mission may be over, but the work they started is not finished.