From Attah Ede, Makurdi
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a non-governmental organization, on Tuesday, promised to establish a pad bank for young girls in Angwan-Jukun, a community located in the heart of Makurdi, the Benue State capital to enable them have access to free sanitary pads.
The Foundation further said they take issues relating to women and girls seriously and want to play a part in safeguarding the menstrual health of people in the state.
Speaking during a symposium organised by the AHF -Nigeria to mark the 2024 Menstrual Health Day held at Agyogoyo, Angwan-Jukun community, Makurdi, Benue state, AHF-Nigeria Advocacy/Marketing Manager, Steve Aborisade, assured that the AHF would partner with the state government to provide sanitary pad in the State.
Steve said the idea of setting up the Pad Bank is to help those young girls that don’t have the means to get the sanitary pads to be able to access them free of charge.
According to him, some of those girls do not know when their menstrual periods start and it might just start on their way to school or the church and by this they get stained, they can just rush to the Pad Bank explain to the person there and get a free pad.
He further said the Pad Bank would be cited at the home of the traditional head in the community for easy access and AHF would collaborate with other government agencies and CSO’S to make the project a reality.
Aborisade called on national and state houses of assemblies to make legislation that could compel government at all levels to provide free sanitary pads to girl children in schools in order to ameliorate challenges faced by those who could not procure any one.
He also said this years theme was tagged Period Poverty because these girls don’t have access to sanitary pads due to the high price in the market and with that, they use things that are not to be used thereby causing damage to their body system.
” We would follow up with going to see the members of the State House of Assembly, even if it is 0.5 percent of the budget which should be devoted to the girls in providing sanitary pad for them, would be a welcomed idea.” He said
“We have about 600 girls presently benefiting from this project, and each the girls is being given two months supply of free sanitary pads and are being educated on how to use it,” Steve said .
Also speaking at the program, Hon. Peter Uche, Chairman House Committee on SDGs and NGOs Benue House of Assembly, commended AHF for organising the program, which is aimed at educating the girl children.
Hon. Peter said some of these girls are so naive about how to take care of their body and this is why the girl child education is very key especially in various homes.
” Some parents don’t want to even talk to their daughters about Sanitary hygiene and this would lead to unwanted pregnancy which brings about depression on the girl child.
“The level of illiteracy among our juvenile is quite alarming. We live in a religious society that when you talked about juvenile, it call for concerned. So many girls have lost their lives. It is good that AHF is organising this programme to educate them about their menstrual cycle.
“Parents should be involved in this campaign because they have a role to play. When an issue come, some parents send their child out of their homes, forgetting that there is needs for rehabilitation and bring the child back home.
“Some parents don’t listen to their children when they complain about their hygiene but are eager to chase them out from the house when they come home with unwanted pregnancy.
Therefore, this programme should be held across the state. What the girls are experiencing today is an opportunity to key into to earn a good living”, Uche stated.
He pleaded with parents to always put the education of their children first and be watchful of the type of friends and company they keep, and to also lecture them in proper hygiene.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. John Ugboji the Senior Regional Medical Manager AHF, cautioned the girls to pay attention to their hygiene and that AHF not only support the girls with materials, they also support them with the knowledge on personal hygiene.
He intimated the girls that, their knowledge about menstrual hygiene, would determine how their life turns out to become and by this improving their lifestyle.
On part, the Mental Desk officer of Benue State Aids Control Agency(BENSACA), Mrs. Martina Adiyia enjoined the girls to see menstrual circle as a time for celebration as it is not a curse or a disease for one to be ashamed of.
She said BENSACA which is mainly in charge of people living with HIV/AIDS would also take on the issue of providing free sanitary pads to young girls as an external program into the Agency.
One of the beneficiaries who identified herself, Monica Terna, appealed to government to come to the aid of the girl child by providing for them free sanitary pads especially in rural communities.
She said making the kits available by this it would help in reducing infections in most of the girls as some of them don’t have the means to get these pads.
highlight of the event was distribution of sanitary pads and demonstration to the girls on how to use a sanitary pad and the different types of sanitary pads to use which was done by Dr. Laadi Swende Family physician Federal Medical Centre Makurdi.
