NGO sensitizes 200 adolescent girls, others on menstrual, personal hygiene
Mohammed Kaka
A Bauchi-based Non Governmental organization (NGO) known as Nurture and Empower Her Initiative (NEHI) has in support from a sister NGO, Ganvi Women and Youths Empowerment Initiative sensitized 200 adolescent girls and young women of reproductive ages on menstrual and body hygiene to enable them be conversant with taking good care of their bodies.
The NGOs stressed the need for adequate training and sensitization of adolescent girls and young women on issues of reproductive health in order to have a healthy society.
The adolescent girls and young women were also sensitized on knowing their fundamental human rights as well as the rights that are available for them as girls and women in line with the relevant laws of the country.
The girls and young women were also taught skills on how to produce reusable sanitary pads in order to save cost and still take care of themselves during their monthly flow.
Speaking during the one day programme held at the Bigi community in Bauchi LGA, Executive Director of, Florence Uzoanya, said the essence of the sensitization was to let the participants know the basic things they need to do to remain healthy.
“We came to this community in order to wake up the awareness of the adolescent girls and young women. We want them to be aware that they have rights”, sh said.
According to her, the essence of the training on making reusable sanitary pads is to create a source of small income for the participants as they go back into the community to influence their friends and peers who could not make it to the outreach.
“In places like this, adolescent girls are molested freely leading to unwanted pregnancies and sexuallly transmitted infections and other effects.” Florence Uzoanya lamented.
She said that the NGO is poised in ensuring a reduction in the rate of out-of-school among adolescent girls who stopped going to school because of lack of money to buy sanitary pads for their monthly menstrual flow.
“We want them to go back to school and become our leaders tomorrow, like Senators, Public officials and other top figures in the society,” She stressed.
In her remarks, Executive Director of Ganvi Women and Youths Empowerment Initiative, Matshi Mary Tufa stressed the importance of reproductive health among adolescent and young girls who are in the child bearing ages.
She stressed that the sensitization outreach was basically to teach them how to take good care of their body and health in order to avoid teenage pregnancy and be knowledgeable about menstrual hygiene.
Matshi Mary Tufa added that the participants will be trained on how to make and use the reusable sanitary pads to ease issue of lack of money to procure the normal sanity pads.
According to her, “Our plan is to reduce rate of unwanted pregnancies in the rural areas as well as let the girls know that, they have a future to live for.”
She called on well to do individuals in the society as well as other NGOs and cooperate organisations on the need to support such causes for the good of humanity.
Some of the girls who spoke, commemded the NGO for the sensitization and training saying that it will go a long way in reshaping their lives about body hygiene and menstrual hygiene.