By Lara Adejoro
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in partnership with the Keffi Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, on Wednesday, sensitised students on the challenges involved in menstrual health and informed them of measures aimed at ending its stigmatisation.
Speaking at the event, the Medical Director of the Foundation in Nigeria, Dr Emmanuel Nwabueze, said the Foundation aimed at ensuring that young girls and women have access to decent menstrual pads.
According to Nwabueze, “Some of our girls miss school because they are on their menstrual period, some do not go to school because their parents do not have money to buy the products.
“Some of our girls cannot open up to their parents about what is happening to their bodies. That is why we are here to advocate and tell people that menstruation is clean, not dirty.”
The PUNCH reports that the Foundation instituted a sanitary pad bank in collaboration with the LGA, Keffi, Primary Healthcare Agency, and the Keffi Ministry of Women Affairs.
The sanitary pad bank aims at ensuring continuous availability of pads in facilities for girls in schools and out-of-school.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of Keffi LGA, Muhammed Baba-Shehu, applauded the Foundation for choosing Keffi LGA as one of its beneficiaries for the programme.
Baba-Shehu, who was represented by the Secretary of the LGA, Muhammed Adamu, said, “We intend to collaborate with the Foundation, and we are giving the assurance that we will do our best to contribute to the pad bank.
“We will also see how we can train our people to produce the sanitary pads to benefit our women and girls,” he assured.
Baba-Shehu further urged parents, teachers, and guidance to support their children to end the shame and discrimination associated with the female gender when menstruating and ensure they maintain good hygiene.
On her part, the Counsellor, Women Affairs, Keffi LGA, Aisha Basha, noted that the ministry is saddled with the responsibility of educating young women and girls on menstrual health and management.
“This is important because we realise that most of our children are shy, especially when they are growing into the reproductive stage. They do not want to discuss any issue concerning menstruation or any changes in their body with their parents, as they prefer to hide and deal with the situation themselves,” she observed.
One of the participants, who is a student of ECWA Government Junior Secondary School, Keffi, Gift Ibe, appreciated the organisation for the enlightenment programme, saying, “I learnt that when I am seeing my period, I should keep my body clean, take my bath and change my pad regularly. I also learnt not to be ashamed when I am menstruating and to speak to my parents or teachers in school when I experience any problem or when I am in pain.”
Source: The Punch
