Unicef has launched a new project to help adolescent girls maintain a good hygiene.

In partnership with the Netherlands Development Organization, S-N-V, Unicef launched a project on menstrual hygiene management in Eastern Equatoria State.

The project which was launched yesterday in the state capital, Toirt will cost one hundred and fifteen thousand US dollars.

Unicef Chief of Education in South Sudan, Phuong Nguyen, says the agency wants to help stop the phenomena that force many girls to drop out of schools.

“The situation for girl education in South Sudan is not a very good picture, we have about 36% of girls’ enrolment in a country here and we need to improve that,” she said.

“We know that many girls particularly when they get to a certain age … begin to have menses and due to some cultural taboos and some lack of awareness and the fact that menstrual hygiene is something to be a shame of, many girls are missing schools on average of four days a month.”

Ms Nguyen said that in Eastern Equatoria State alone, Unicef is assisting over one thousand five hundred children in fourteen schools in different counties.

“Upon successful implementation we want to expand it to other state around the country,” she said.

Ms Nguyen said Unicef and its partner the S-N-V Organization will extend the same project to other states in South Sudan.