Page Title
Love Your Menses is excited to host the 2nd Annual Menstrual and Mental Wellness Retreat in Nairobi, Kenya during the Summer of 2023. A select number of Boston, Hartford, and DC-MD-VA (DMV) area girls ages 13-15 and their mothers/female guardians will be able to join us as we participate in wellness, educational, and cultural activities with our sisters in Kenya.
About The Retreat
AN INTERGENERATIONAL MENSTRUAL AND MENTAL WELLNESS RETREAT, PERIOD.
It is well known that cultural stigmas and lack of menstrual education can cause fear and shame for girls beginning their menstrual journey at menarche (occurrence of the first period). Furthermore, there are intergenerational households where parents and older relatives dealt with period stigma and experienced reproductive health conditions in silence. We understand how difficult it can be for parents/guardians to have conversations about reproductive health and support their daughter if they were never given the opportunity to understand & embrace their own menstrual flow. Through a two-generation (2Gen) approach, we are prioritizing the social and emotional wellbeing of parents and children so they can thrive.
We envision a world where talking about menstruation AND mental health will no longer be taboo!
Love Your Menses’ Menstrual Wellness Retreat is a safe and healing space for girls and their mothers/guardians to rest, engage in meaningful dialogue about reproductive health, share period stories, build sisterhood, prioritize their wellness, and get access to the resources they need to
flow through life, unapologetically!
This retreat will feature:
Menstrual Health Workshops
Mental Wellness
Bullying Prevention
Local cultural activities
Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Sister Circles
Youth and Adult Guest Speakers
& MUCH MORE!
Accepting Applications Now!!
The Nairobi Experience
From the East Coast of the United States to Kenya, we are creating opportunities for girls and women to experience the culture, wellness, and joy. As an organization with a global reach, menstruation is universal, and we must do our part to build sisterhood worldwide so we can learn from each other and flow through life, unapologetically! We are excited to host our next retreat in Kenya, where seeds will be planted for girls and women in the US to build fruitful relationships with our sisters in Kenya.
Apply Now!
If you are a parent/youth living in Boston, Hartford, or DMV, and would like to attend the retreat, please click the link below to apply.
If you are an organization or youth leader in Boston, Hartford, or DMV, and would like to bring your group of girls to the retreat, please click the link below to apply. Please note, your organization/youth group will responsible for all expenses (flight, lodging, food, and activities). Our team will help coordinate.
If you are an adult and would like to volunteer and join us for this experience, please click the link below to apply. Please note, you will be responsible for all expenses (flight, lodging, food, and activities). Our team will help coordinate.
Info Session
Theme
Menstruation is more than monthly bleeding. It is truly a mind and body experience that requires much understanding, embracing, and loving - just like a girl's relationship with her mother or female caregiver.
The theme for this year's retreat is Understanding, Embracing, and Loving.
A girl's relationship with her mother or female caregiver is one of the most powerful bonds that can affect future relationships. We understand not every relationship is perfect; however, with proper understanding (of oneself and others), embracing (of one's own experiences), and love (for oneself and others), relationships can be healthy and fulfilling.
At the end of our retreat, it is our hope girls and women will have a better understanding of themselves and their relationships, embrace experiences that make them unique, and be committed to loving themselves and others.
Our Impact in Kenya
Under the leadership of our Program Manager, James Githari, we partner with Africomm Development Centre in Tkaraka Nithi County, Kenya on a Keep A Girl In School (KAGIS) initiative to reduce period inequities in rural areas affected by climate change. We have supported over 300 girls and women with menstrual health education, free menstrual product distribution, and social support. We are looking forward to continuing our work to respond to the needs of the community and invite girls and women from the USA to build sisterhood with our Kenyan community.
In Nairobi, we are committed to continuing our support for students at the Araunah Roses Education Centre as well as children from the Amazing Wonders Rescue Centre.
Frequently Asked Questions
We Need Your Support!
$50,000 Goal
$25,052 Raised
Reproductive health injustices, trauma, and other factors have had a significant impact on adolescents' and adults' mental health. Our menstrual wellness retreat creates an intergenerational space for individuals to prioritize their mental health, reproductive health, and social wellness.
The value of this retreat is $2,500 per person which includes travel, lodging, food, activities, giveaway items, and local transportation. Our hope is to cover the cost for 20 girls and women to join us for this educational, joyful, and cultural experience. Your financial contribution will help support girls and women experiencing financial hardship who would like to attend the retreat.
We’ve set up a PayPal campaign with a goal of $25,000! Our total retreat goal is $50,000. We have already raised $25,000 in grant funding to go towards program costs.
Contact Us
For sponsorship inquiries and general questions about the Menstrual Wellness Retreat, please contact Fatoumata Konate at fkonate@loveyourmenses.com.