Care Is Giving

Claire Kyarisiima’s Bold Gift of Dignity

What began as a quiet, painful memory has turned into a movement of dignity and care. Haunted by her own experience of period shame at age 10, Claire Kyarisiima vowed that no girl should face menstruation with fear, silence, or scraps of cloth. Through Touched Minds, an organisation she co-founded, Claire is rewriting this narrative, one reusable pad, one restored confidence, one empowered girl at a time.

In places like Buyala village in Budondo Sub-County, Jinja, the reality is stark. Girls use soil, mattress scraps, and polythene bags to manage their periods. Many miss school, social spaces, and worship, not because they lack ambition, but because they lack pads. Claire’s work, in partnership with Msichana Uganda, has brought over 600 packs of reusable pads to schools, empowered girls with information, and helped boys understand the importance of supporting menstrual health.

But this is more than hygiene, it’s about equity, access, and the power of community-led giving. Claire’s efforts, supported by friends, family, and grassroots organisations like Sifa New Day Foundation, prove that generosity doesn’t have to be grand to be impactful. Her model of giving is grounded in compassion, proximity, and purpose, meeting real needs where they exist.

Beyond menstruation, Claire connects families to disability care services, provides diapers and undergarments for children with disabilities, and raises awareness about gender-based violence and early marriage. For her, care is not an event, it’s a way of life. And her giving is the kind that restores humanity: quietly, consistently, and with deep conviction.

In her own words and work, Claire shows us that true giving is not about charity, it’s about justice. It’s about ensuring that no girl is left behind because of something as natural and unavoidable as her period. It’s about refusing to normalize inequality and choosing instead to give with empathy and urgency.

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Care Is Giving