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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
A Non Governmental Organization NGO AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria, has pledged to work with its partners to establish a pad banks in Benue State to assist young girls access pads during their menstrual flow.
The Advocacy and Marketing Manager, AHF Nigeria, Steve Aborisade stated this on Tuesday during the mental hygiene education organized for over 100 young girls in commemoration of the 2024 Menstrual Health Day (MHD), held at Angwan-Jukun, Wurukum, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
Speaking at the event, Aborisade said the pad bank will be domiciled in schools and communities to assist majority of teenage girls who cannot even afford sanitary pads.
He lamented that due to period poverty, most of the girls resort to use of other means including rags, cotton wool and in some cases tissue papers which are harmful to their health.
He noted further that the inability of the teenagers to access sanitary pads has led to the call on all and sundry to join hand to end period poverty for girls and women across the world.
Aborisade, on behalf of AHF, appealed to other partners to contribute to the pad bank adding that no matter how small their contributions were, it would go a long way to assist the girls.
He explained that Angwan-Jukun was chosen for the education of girls after they learnt that there is high prevalence rate of teenage pregnancy, sexual assault, teenage prostitution among others in the area.
“We felt that it is important to give the young people in this community some form of education.
“That was what led to the formation of Committee on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in this community, with other partners in Benue. This is like a follow-up to that effort,” he said.
Aborisade also stated that AHF would further take its advocacy to the legislative houses to encourage government on the need to provide good and separate toilets for female children in schools across the state with good water.
Also speaking at the awarenesses campaign, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Helen Nyikaav, advised the girls to educate their peers on the harmful effects of using other means, other than sanitary pads to contain their menstruation.
She said they should count themselves privileged to be exposed to such teachings at an early stage, because some of them were not privileged to this kind of information while growing up.
The Chairman, House Committee on SDGs and NGOs, Benue State House of Assembly (BNHA), Peter Uche, called on AHF to subsequently involve parents in such programmes, adding that parents should handle their children with tact.
U he urged parents to listen to their children and show them understanding when they are speaking to them rather than condemning them.
Asked if Benue State Action Committee on Aids (BENSACA), would also key into the program, Matina Adiyia, Head, Mental Health Desk Officer, BENSACA, said the core mandate of the agency is HIV and AIDS, but the provision of sanitary pads is an extra program coming in.
She explained that she would take the matter back to the Executive Secretary of the agency to see how they would key into the project.
Some of the beneficiaries, Catherine Sunday and Inyang Christabel appreciated AHF for educating them on menstrual health and benefits associated with it.
They called on state government to partner with the organization to be able to reach out to their counterparts in other communities of the state.
