The Clean Girls, an organization that focuses on advancing and empowering women and girls toward effective menstrual hygiene management has partnered with WaterAid Nigeria, Youth Initiative for Sustainable Human Development in Africa, ONE Campaign and Prime Diamond Initiative for Community Health to enlighten the students of Junior Secondary School Dutse, Abuja on the necessity to practice personal menstrual hygiene.
According to Ijeoma Oforka, the Team Lead for this noble project, “this collaboration became a necessity in commemoration of International Women’s Day, a day set aside, by the United Nations to celebrate the success and achievements of women globally”.
The event had an interactive section, in which questions were asked on menstruation and matters around it such as the definition of menstruation, what to expect during menstruation, the materials being used when menstruating and so on. Some of the girls shared stories about their first experience, who they confided in and how they felt afterwards. The boys who were in attendance also asked a few questions concerning the reason behind the usage of pad and why girls menstruate.
Miss Nnenna, Project Manager For The Clean Girls’ Project demonstrated to the school girls on how to wear sanitary pads/napkins and how to properly dispose it. The girls were also taught how to tidy themselves and their environment after using toilet facilities and the importance of changing their sanitary pads 2-3 times. Austin Ekwujuru from ONE Campaign speaking on the importance of personal hygiene during menstruation highlighted the need for clean water, clean toilets and bathroom both in school and at home.
The highlight of the event also aimed at tackling the challenges of inadequate knowledge on menstrual hygiene management was the distribution of sanitary pads and information, as well as education and communication materials among the school girls and also to the school which will be stocked in case of emergency need of it from the girls who starts their menstruation while in school.