Rotary Club Distributes Reusable Pads to over 400 Girls in Abia Schools
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
Rotary International has continued its campaign to make girls in their puberties imbibe the culture of maintaining healthy menstrual hygiene and general care of their bodies.
In their latest sensitisation tours, the Rotarians of Umudike Central visited six schools within the Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency and gave out reusable sanitary pads to more than 400 girls.
This health initiative tagged ‘Pad A Girl’ is being implemented in Abia by the Rotary Club of Umudike Central, District 9142 Nigeria in collaboration with North Cobb Rotary Club, District 6900, USA.
The schools that benefited from the Rotary gesture were Community Secondary School, Ihim Ibere, Methodist High School, Oboro , Michael Okpara University Demonstration Secondary School Umudike all in Ikwuano Local Government.
In Umuahia axis the Rotarians carried out the pad distribution exercise and girl empowerment campaign at Ndume-Otuka Community Secondary School, Ohuhu Community Secondary School, Amaogwugwu, all in Umuahia North Local Government, and Umuopara Secondary School in Umuahia South Local Government.
President of Rotary Club of Umudike Central, Rotarian Seline Ilochi, said that the ‘Pad A Girl’ project, which was first introduced during the 2022-23 Rotary year, was aimed at empowering young girls with sustainable menstrual health solutions.
She explained that reusable pad was chosen for the project due to its quality of ensuring safe menstrual hygiene practice, and for being eco-friendly, which significantly reduces waste generation unlike disposable sanitary pads, which harm the environment.
Ilochi also noted that reusable pads have economic advantages hence it would save the young girls the cost of buying pads every month all year round.
This, according to her, is because reusable pads could be used over and over for up to three years so long as it’s kept clean, adding that menstruation is a natural occurrence that must be handled with utmost care,
The Umudike Central President stated that the Pad A Girl project would provide the girls with the needed capacity to have unhindered access to quality education at any point in time, even during the monthly menstrual cycle.
At each of the visited schools, the Public Image Chair, Rotary Club of Umudike Central, Rotarian Onyinye Ralph-Nwachukwu, advised the female students to gently wash the reusable pads with water after six (6) hours of use and sun dry.
She said that keeping the reusable pad clean after use would prevent bacteria from finding a way to enter and do harm to the bodies of the pad user.
The Rotarians not only distributed the reusable pads to the girls but also taught them how to use the hygienic products while encouraging them to build their self confidence as menstrual flow is not a taboo.
The project, which is among the club’s programmes for the current 2023-24 Rotary year of service, involved distribution of reusable sanitary pads to adolescent girls in secondary schools. In addition the girls were also sensitised on the importance of keeping their bodies in good hygienic condition always.
