For many teenage girls and women, the arrival of their monthly period comes with more than the inconvenience of managing menstruation. For some, it is accompanied by painful cramps that can make it difficult to work, sit through lessons, concentrate in class or participate fully in everyday activities.
At St Theresa Girls Secondary School in Kasese District, a group of students is turning this shared challenge into an opportunity for innovation.
Through the Stanbic National Schools Championship (NSC), the students have developed the Terra Menstrual Pain Relief Belt, a wearable device designed to help women and teenage girls manage menstrual cramps using heat therapy.
“I know many girls need this solution, and I believe this project can go beyond the borders of Uganda,” said Catherine Kabugho, a Senior Two student at St Theresa Girls Secondary School. Kabugho, who has personally experienced painful menstrual cramps, said her own experience inspired the idea behind the innovation, which she hopes will provide relief to many other women and girls.
“I know the pain of cramps and the toll it can have on someone, and that is why I wouldn’t desire to see anyone go through the same pain,” she said.
According to Kabugho, the belts generate heat of up to 40 degrees Celsius, which she says is safe for the human body and effective in helping relieve menstrual pain. She believes the innovation has the potential to grow into an international business, given that menstrual cramps affect millions of women and girls around the world. A member of the school’s Board of Governors, Sadrace Byaruhanga, applauded Stanbic Bank for extending the National Schools Championship programme to schools in remote areas such as Nsenyi in Kasese District, saying such opportunities allow students in underserved communities to demonstrate their potential.
“Not many institutions are willing to come this far to support young people. Seeing Stanbic Bank take the initiative to nurture young innovators gives us hope for a brighter future,” she said.
Byaruhanga noted that while students in rural areas face numerous challenges, they possess enormous potential that only requires the right opportunities, mentorship and support to flourish. “We are grateful that there are organisations taking the initiative to awaken that potential,” she said.
Kabhogwe also expressed gratitude to Stanbic Bank for giving her a platform to develop an idea aimed at making a meaningful difference in people’s lives. “Stanbic Bank has made my voice heard and helped me pursue my mission of making a difference in people’s lives. Without the National Schools Championship, I don’t think I would have had the confidence or enthusiasm to pursue this project,” she said. At Kyebambe Girls School, students are working on EduFarm, a project focused on developing innovative systems that make farming more reliable, sustainable and efficient. As part of the project, the students have developed a smart irrigation kit that automatically irrigates crops without requiring manual operation.
“At the moment, we have already developed a smart irrigation kit that is not manually operated. It is a system that works on its own and irrigates automatically. Although it is still in the development stage, it has made significant progress and is already functioning,” said Marian Wembabazi, a Senior Three student. Wembabazi said irrigation plays a critical role in agricultural productivity, particularly in Uganda, where agriculture remains a major part of the economy. However, many existing irrigation systems continue to rely heavily on manual labour, which can be unreliable and time-consuming.
“Our innovation is addressing challenges such as water wastage, silting and dependence on manual labour, which can sometimes be unreliable,” she said.
Although similar irrigation systems are already available on the market, Owembabazi said their innovation stands out because it is solar-powered, environmentally friendly and fully automated. “The machine uses solar energy and has an automation system with a microcontroller that makes the entire system work. Once installed, it operates on its own without any manual intervention. It is also more affordable than many of the existing systems,” she said.
Meanwhile, at Sedes Sapientiae Academiae in Kazo District, students are tackling challenges faced by poultry farmers through an Agritech venture that is developing an affordable, multi-purpose poultry feed-making machine. According to Turyamwesiimire Steven, one of the students behind the innovation, many poultry farmers have access to raw materials for making feeds but lack affordable equipment to process them, forcing them to incur additional costs.
“So we decided to make a machine that can help farmers process their feeds at home without having to pay others to do it. This helps them reduce feeding costs by up to 60% and increase their monthly profits,” he said.
Steven said the machine’s uniqueness lies in its ability to chop and grind different types of food materials used for animal feed, while remaining affordable for farmers.He added that the machine could also help farmers improve the nutritional quality of their feeds while reducing the cost of processing. “Stanbic Bank has gone a long way in training young people to become job creators instead of job seekers. It is a very big achievement for us and for them. We appreciate Stanbic and urge them to continue supporting as many young people across the country as possible,” he said.
Background
Held annually since 2016, the Stanbic National Schools Championship is a flagship initiative of Stanbic Bank Uganda aimed at identifying, nurturing and supporting some of Uganda’s most promising young entrepreneurs and innovators, with the underlying goal of developing problem-solvers who can contribute to the country’s socio-economic transformation.
Diana Ondoga, Manager, Corporate Social Investment (CSI) at Stanbic Bank Uganda, said the programme is part of the bank’s commitment to equipping young people with the skills and opportunities needed to shape Uganda’s future.
“We see this programme as our contribution to building Uganda’s next entrepreneurs, employees and leaders,” Ondoga said. The championship also aligns with Uganda’s competency-based curriculum by promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills that prepare learners for the future of work. The appraisal process is aimed at determining which innovations will advance to the Stanbic National Schools Championship Grand Finale, scheduled to take place on 28 August 2026.
