For the first meeting of 2023, members of the WiSTEM program met with Michelle Gherardi, Acting Executive Director for WISER International on Wednesday, January 11. During the meeting, Ms. Gherardi introduced members to Muhuru Bay, Kenya, where the WISER Girls Secondary School is located. She then explained how a lack of access to clean menstrual hygiene products affects girls’ education in the area and how WISER strives to address this issue by providing a safe and supportive environment for girls to learn. The meeting concluded with an interactive Q&A session where program members learned more about WISER’s history and initiatives.
From 2016 to 2020, the WiSTEM club raised money to pay for the tuition of Hilari, a former student at the WISER Girls Secondary School. Hilari started an outreach group to teach her peers about reproductive health during her time at WISER and is now a university student. This year, Harker WiSTEM has pledged to support a student at WISER who is currently in seventh grade until her graduation.
Members will have additional opportunities to support WISER’s initiatives throughout the rest of the school year and can email harker.wistem@gmail.com with additional questions for Ms. Gherardi. Thank you to everyone who attended this important and insightful meeting!
