A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria has distributed sanitary pads to over 80 female students in Akwa Ibom in commemoration of the World Menstrual Day.
The foundation made the distribution of the items to the students of Ibesikpo Secondary Commercial School (IBESCO) in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area on Wednesday.
The State Clinical Coordinator of AHF, Dr Ekemini Essien, in his remarks during the exercise said that the gesture was necessary to help the students maintain good hygiene and reduce their monthly cost of purchasing pads.
“Today is always set aside by the United Nations, to commemorate World Menstrual Day and as organisation, we are here in Ibesikpo Secondary Commercial School train the female students on personal hygiene, specifically how they can take care of themselves during their menstrual period.
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“We are equally giving out sanitary pads to over 80 students, from Junior Secondary I to Senior Secondary III to help reduce their expenses and it will last them for two months.
“We are working in partnership with the community advocacy group which is within our organisation to help address issues within the community like inequalities, gender base violence, and among others,” Essien said.
He said each year the foundation set out activities targeting at secondary schools and some disadvantaged communities to help address issues bothering on girl-child.
Essien, who is also the State Team Lead of AHF noted that the foundation has been on the forefront of training, particularly female gender on the prevention of HIV&AID including testing.
On her part, the Vice Principal, Administration of IBESCO, Mrs Rose Edenteghe commended the foundation and described their gesture as rewarding and highly beneficial to the students, particularly in the current economic reality.
She urged the female students to be focused on their studies and shun any forms of negative behaviours which may truncated their education and drag them backwards.
Speaking on behalf of the students, the Female Senior Prefect of the school, Miss Patricia Edet, thanked the foundation for gesture.
Edet said that they have learnt how to observe personal hygiene and more during their monthly menstrual flow.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE