Our Very Favorite Valentine

We’re super lucky. We have a Valentine 365 days of the year. And she just so happens to be Huru’s amazing Projects Manager based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Our Nairobi team stays exceptionally busy. They’re either in the field, attending meetings, overseeing production, writing grant proposals, developing an app (!), etc. They’re really the lifeblood of Huru. Since they’re so important to us, we want to should spend more time introducing them to you.

And because today is Valentine’s Day, there is no better person to highlight than our very our Valentine Samoei. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone as passionate about periods as Valentine and for a good reason. Valentine has her own story from when she started her period when she was just 9 years old. She was scared in the moment, but says that she’s grateful that she was the first of her friends to start her period. She became the person that her friends could come to for information and advice about periods. And she’s still that person! You can watch Valentine tell her period story and talk about various menstrual myths on our Instagram page here.

You’ve been with Huru for a while now. How long has it been and why did you start working with Huru?

I started working for Huru in May 2012, so almost 9 years. I started working for Huru because I had a passion for working with girls, especially in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and menstrual hygiene management. I love talking about menstruation, adolescence and puberty, and I love training. If you ambushed me even in the middle of the night and told me to talk about periods I wouldn’t even think twice. I think it’s in the blood. And where else will one get all of this experience apart from Huru!

You do SO MUCH at Huru! What is your favorite part of your work?

My most favourite part about working at Huru is during field visits after distributions, seeing the smiles, the laughter, the positive stories, the high self-esteem and the confidence of the beneficiaries. And meeting parents who tell you that they now discuss menstruation and reproductive health issues with their children. And teachers confirming that girls no longer miss school and the rates of pregnancy have significantly dropped. And the community leaders and religious leaders being champions in breaking the silence on menstruation...

It’s always the positive impact for me!

At the end of the day, you are happy that you have helped change a life. I am happy that I am part of the solution to menstrual hygiene challenges facing girls.

When growing up I had to go through puberty and adolescence all alone without having enough sanitary pads during my periods and plus the shame when you stain your clothes; this happened to me so many times. Every time I do this work, I relate to the challenges that girls go through.

You have a pretty amazing period story of your own. What’s the most memorable story you’ve heard from a girl at a distribution?

I have so many memorable stories from girls and boys. Every beneficiary I have interacted with has a unique and amazing story. There was this young girl that I met during distribution activities in Mt Elgon, and during the small group sessions she looked withdrawn and quiet. After the sessions, I approached her because I wanted to know her story, and she opened up to me. She said that she comes from a very poor family, that her dad was killed during the interclan conflicts in the area, and her mum has been taking care of her and 5 of her siblings. She said that she knows she has no future and she was thinking of getting married so that she can reduce the burden from her mother. A sanitary pad was something she had never seen, she used pieces of clothes because that’s what she had been taught. To her, having periods was like a punishment. When we gave her the reusable sanitary pads, I saw a smile on her face for the first time that day. And out of nowhere, she came to me and said, “thank you. I know life is not easy, but I will work hard…I will not drop out of school, I will try and finish school because Huru has encouraged me today.” She continued to say that she wants to change the story of her family.

This story touched my heart because I knew a life had been changed and her destiny restored.

That’s so inspiring! What about from a boy?

Well just the other day during a distribution in Murang’a County, I interviewed a young boy on the impacts of the program. I was amazed to learn that before we met him, he thought that menstruation was a curse or some kind of sickness. He used to feel pity for girls and wished that he could do something to help. He is happy that he got an opportunity to learn from Huru. He said that he will be an ambassador who will advocate for girls and promised to help where he can now that he has all the information. He continued to say that he will help to educate the community about the myths and misconceptions that lead to discrimination and stigmatisation of girls when they are on their periods.

I am happy that Huru is creating community ambassadors across the country.

I know you stay pretty busy with Huru. But how do you like to spend your time when you’re not working?

When I am not at Huru, I travel a lot. I love exploring new places and interacting with new people. This helps me learn different cultures and have different perspective about life. I spend a lot of time with family and friends too, and I read a lot of books. Plus, shopping is my favourite kind of sport!

Valentine (and our entire team!) really inspires us. Keep an eye out for more introductions to Huru’s incredible team. And don’t miss Velnah’s distribution story. You can read that here.

And in the meantime, have a very Happy Valentine’s Day!