Health
A Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO), MaryMine Mother’s Care Initiative Network, has intensified efforts to promote menstrual hygiene and eliminate stigma associated with menstruation among schoolgirls in Benue.
The organisation, in collaboration with Cheerful Hands Initiative (CHI), Arboot Global Services Ltd and Moskay Consulting Hub, with support from Zenith Bank, organised a sensitisation programme for students on Friday in Makurdi.
The programme, held at Tilley Gyado College under the theme “Dignity in Class: Let’s Build a Period-Friendly World”, attracted students from various schools across the Benue capital.
Speaking at the event, the founder of MaryMine Mother’s Care Initiative Network, Mrs MaryMine Hyembe, said the campaign was aimed at educating young people on menstruation as a natural biological process.
Hyembe said they also aimed to discourage discrimination against girls during their menstrual periods.
She said boys were deliberately included in the programme to foster understanding and support for menstruating girls among their peers.
“Most people believe menstruation is a topic for women alone, but we decided to involve boys because they have important roles to play in supporting their sisters, classmates and future families,” she said.
She noted that inadequate knowledge about menstruation often leads to teasing, embarrassment and isolation of girls in schools, stressing the need for continuous awareness to help them manage their periods with confidence and dignity.
The founder also urged schools to include sanitary pads in their first aid boxes to assist girls who experience unexpected menstrual flow while in school.
Hyembe expressed concern over the low level of menstrual hygiene awareness among some parents, saying this affects the guidance provided to adolescent girls.
She disclosed that the organisation had expanded its outreach to rural communities where women and girls receive education on proper menstrual care and access to sanitary pads.
The NGO founder, however, identified inadequate funding as a major challenge and appealed to corporate organisations, development partners and well-meaning individuals to support the initiative.
Also speaking, a representative of the Benue State Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management, Mrs Caroline Omeka, commended the organisers for what she described as a timely intervention that would improve awareness among students.
Executive Director of Cheerful Hands Initiative, Miss Becky Banker, said the organisation partnered with the campaign to tackle menstrual poverty and improve access to hygiene products and information for girls.
Banker expressed confidence that the initiative would help change negative perceptions about menstruation and promote healthier practices among young people.
“Empowering girls with knowledge and access to hygiene products will improve their health, confidence and educational outcomes,” she said.
One of the participants, Miss Kehemen Comfort of UBE St Mary’s North Bank, Makurdi, said the sensitisation programme improved her understanding of menstruation and the importance of maintaining good hygiene.
A teacher at Tilley Gyado College, Ms Garba Vera, described the programme as enlightening and urged parents to take menstrual hygiene education seriously. (NAN)
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Tags: Mentrual Hygiene NGO