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By Stephen Adeleye.
An NGO, Heal For Africa Initiative (HFAI), on Monday said it had concluded plans to educate 3000 girls cut across 10 schools in Kogi on sexual health and good menstrual hygiene.
Dr Kelechi Okoro, Founder of the NGO, disclosed this at a sensitisation and empowerment program organised for teenage girls of Muslim Community Secondary School, Lokongoma, Lokoja.
She said that the project was officially inaugurated in May this year, tagged: “Pay Attention To Her (PATH)”, aimed at promoting healthy menstrual hygiene among schoolgirls and educating them on sexual health.
According to her, the PATH School tour is a project of HFAI, to empower the school girls on sex education and sensitise the public that menstruation is everybody’s business, and not just for females alone.
Okoro said that the PATH targeted at empowering 3000 girls in 10 selected schools across three Kogi senatorial zones, had impacted over 300 hundred girls of Al-Anshal Secondary School New Layout, Lokoja.
“We are here today to educate another 300 schoolgirls of Muslim Community Secondary School, on good menstrual hygiene which is the second school tour of the PATH project.
“We are educating young girls, ladies in particular and the public, about Menstrual Hygiene as well as breaking the stigma, clarifying myths and misconceptions around Menstruation.
“There will also be a lecture on Girl child empowerment, self esteem & confidence as a tool for nation building and donation of free sanitary pads and other hygiene products.
“Period is a thing of pride; you don’t have to be ashamed of it. It is everybody’s business. We must demystify menstrual period because ‘period is period, period!,” Okoro said.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, represented by Mrs Ahman Animoku, Director Education Support Services, commended the NGO for the initiative and urged other relevant stakeholders to emulate the gesture.
Mrs Petra Onyegbule, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Yahaya Bello, advised the girls not to allow anybody to make them feel inferior, saying “confidence is actually one way to depict your mental strength.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CPS, who doubles as the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the NGO, adopted one of the school girls, Godiya Matthew, for her impressive write-up in the program
Onyegbule told NAN that: “I decided to adopt Godiya Matthew due to her impressive contribution and boldness; she understands who she is, so, she needs all inclusive grooming and mentorship to develop her confidence”.
In her contribution, Godiyah said: “As a girl, you should be proud of yourself because you are the mother of nations. God created you as a helper to the man from the beginning.
“So, there is no need for you to be ashamed of yourself because God has created you beautifully and wonderfully.”
Mrs Esther Omodara, the Vice Principal, Academic of the School, thanked the NGO for coming to educate their girls on sexual health education and good menstrual higiene.
One of the girls, Halimat Abdullahi, expressed her delight on the sensitisation and empowerment programme, saying she was now better informed about menstrual hygiene than before.
Items distributed include; sanitary pads, soaps and detergents, antiseptics, deodorants, tissue paper, beverages, among others.
Other dignitaries present at the event included: the SSA to Kogi Governor on NGOs, CSOs and NBOs, Mrs Nana Aisha Abu-Ali, and Miss Eunice Emmanuel-Bagi, State Coordinator of Young Africa Intiative, who delivered a lecture on “Girl Child Empowerment: A Tool for Nation Building”.
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