James Sowole in Abeokuta
 

A non-governmental organisation(NGO), Children Empowerment Fund(CEF), has donated 3,750 sanitary pads to no fewer than 150 girls of Ajoboyede Comprehensive High School, Ibara Orile, Ogun State.

The sanitary pads were handed over to the school by the NGO, at a brief ceremony with supervision by the officials of the Ogun State Ministry of Health. During the event, the girls were enlightened on menstrual hiegene by the NGO and officials of the Ministry of Health and during which a Red Bloom Box Project, was launched.

Speaking at the event, the Programme Manager of CEF, Mrs. Temitope Akinrotimi,  decried poor menstrual health among the young girls in the country, saying that poverty aided by ignorance is forcing many of them to use newspapers, cotton wools among other unhygienic ways for their monthly menstruation.

Mrs Akinrotimi disclosed that the initiative was established to assist the girl-child end menstrual periods poverty such that every girl-child would have access to free sanitary pads for their monthly menstruation.

Akinrotimi decried situations when the young girls majorly due to lack of money resort to using newspapers, cotton wools, clothes among other unhygienic ways that could damage their reproductive organs.

She said: “We actually came up with this intervention of Red Bloom Box Project because of what we heard that the girls use for their menstrual health. 

“Some don’t have the financial means to buy sanitary pads, some don’t even know that there is what is called sanitary pads so they use newspapers, cotton wools for their menstrual health and these are quite damaging to the female reproductive organs and these are what we are trying to address as an organisation.” 

“We have equally seen cases where a child won’t go to school for four, five days because she is having her periods. Some of the girls use ankara wrapper which they wash after it is soaked but I am a woman and I understand the discomfort with using such things.” 

“Our desire is to see that menstrual periods poverty becomes a thing of the past. We have come to understand that quite a number of girls do not have access to sanitary pads, we have come here not to just distribute the sanitary pads and go.”

“We have come here with about five months supply of these sanitary pads for 150 girls. And so every month, they are to approach their teacher who is saddled with the task, collect the pads from her and use, so they do not have to bother with not having the financial wherewithal.”

“Our plan is to give a year supplies, so by fourth month we shall be back and supply for the rest of the year.”

Akinrotimi called for more support for girl-child that could make them comfortable, smart and up and doing when having their monthly periods adding that menstrual period is not a sickness but a natural part of who a girl-child is or as  a woman.

She urged for support of organisations, particularly sanitary pads manufacturers as well as government agencies to see how they could help to ensure that every girl-child has access to sanitary pads every month.

The Vice Principal of the secondary school, Mrs Salmot Asekun lauded the NGO for coming around to assist the students to improve on their menstrual health.

Asekun said: “We truly have this challenge of poor menstrual health among the students. Some don’t even know that there is what is called sanitary pads, we have seen some of them using papers for their menstrual periods because their parents cannot afford the money for pads.”

“We welcome this laudable initiative and thank the organisation for deeming it fit to come around and help our children. We sincerely hope and pray that others will take a cue from this organisation and be ready to also support the further development of the school.”

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