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By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
As concerns continue to grow over the impact of period poverty on school attendance in Nigeria, 13-year-old Leah Adeyemi is providing succour through an initiative aimed at protecting the dignity of schoolgirls.
The initiative, dubbed “Pad for School, Pad for Dignity,” runs under the Leah to Girl Child Foundation and provides free sanitary pads, underwear and bathing soap to pupils while educating them on menstrual hygiene.
The foundation came into public prominence after winning a N500,000 top prize in an international competition, a feat that has further strengthened Adeyemi’s capacity to scale the project.
“Our mission is to support young girls in secondary schools with free sanitary pads, underwear and menstrual health education, while helping them stay in school and remain confident,” she stated.
Reports have shown that limited access to sanitary pads forces many girls to resort to unsafe alternatives or miss school entirely, a trend experts warn could have long-term consequences for retention and academic performance.
Adeyemi, a student of Noble House College, reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to addressing this gap, noting that it has distributed hundreds of sanitary kits across primary and secondary schools in Ogun State, each accompanied by training sessions on menstrual hygiene, confidence and body care.
Teachers and parents in beneficiary communities have also attested that the intervention has helped reduce absenteeism among girls, particularly during their menstrual cycle.
Among the foundation’s interventions is its “catch-them-young” programme, which emphasizes early education on personal hygiene—an approach believed to build healthier women and a stronger society.
The teenager’s work mirrors global research showing that improving menstrual hygiene for adolescent girls boosts self-esteem, academic performance and long-term reproductive health outcomes.
Adeyemi, who considers her father, Charles Adeyemi, a major inspiration, is currently enrolled in structured project management training to expand the scale, governance and sustainability of the foundation.
“This is not just a project; it is a commitment to ensuring every girl understands her worth and has what she needs to succeed,” she said.
