The Healthy African Girl Foundation (THAG) has donated a menstrual waste disposal system and hygiene support kits to 1, 800 girls in Abuja.
The waste disposal system consists of an incinerator, sanitary waste disposal bins and a menstrual health station set up in the clinic of the Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Dutse, Abuja.
Speaking during the exercise in the school, convener of the foundation, Dr Chinekwu Oreh, said the donation was in commemoration of this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
She said the foundation also donated THAG dignity kits which comprised feminine hygiene kits such as sanitary pads to the students, IEC materials (posters on menstrual health education) and copies of My Book of Period Stories, a book authored by herself.
Chibok Girls parents beg Tinubu to help free remaining 92 girls
Vigilantes kill 2 gunmen in Anambra
She further said, “This intervention was so critical because awareness needs to be raised on not only menstrual hygiene, but the psycho-social implications of puberty and menstruation to adolescent girls.”
She noted that “period poverty” and proper menstrual waste disposal were critical issues affecting the development of girls, adding that more attention should be paid to them.
While also noting that the GGSS, Dutse, intervention was one of several other initiatives of THAG, Dr Oreh said, “Other initiatives of the foundation include the “Give the Girl a Voice Advocacy” competition, which is a peer-led intervention on advocacy for the girl child by the girl child; InspireHer – an online initiative to inspire girls to be the best versions of themselves; Leadership, Character and Enterprise (LCE) boot camp for females and Awareness for Adolescent Girl Health (AAGH) initiative.