From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
A non profit organization known as Acorn Initiative has provided sanitary pads to 330 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Makurdi Benue State as part of activities to mark this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day (WMHD) celebration.
The organization was founded in 2019 by a United Kingdom based Nigerian, John Adah Igoche to assist and create opportunities for persons who are physically displaced, mentally distressed and emotionally desolated either living in internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps, rural communities in Nigeria or migrant families, veterans and the homeless in the UK.
According to Acorn Initiative’s Project Manager, Mrs. Mary Ikwue, the Organization has conducted over 38 humanitarian outreaches under it’s five pillars of Health, Education, Skills Acquisition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Migration Projects.
While positing that health is a key component of life and menstrual hygiene, Ikwue maintained that a vital part of general health that has to do with the girl child and women at large.
She however regretted that millions of women and girls around the world are stigmatized, excluded and discriminated against simply because they menstruate.
“The period and monthly circle are universal in every women’s life globally and mismanagement of it can limit a lot of girls not attaining their potentials.
She added that the lack of education, religion, persisting taboos and stigma, limited access to hygienic menstrual products and poor sanitation infrastructure undermine the education opportunities, health and overall social status of women and girls around the world which lead to poor menstrual hygiene.
Emphasizing the theme for this year’s WMHD which is, ‘Making Menstruation a Normal Fact of Life by 2030’, the Initiative’s Project Manager wondered why a natural bodily function of women and girls would continue to prevent them from getting an education, earning an income as well as fully and equally participating in everyday life.
Ikwue explained that although the WMHD is celebrated every May 28, the Acorn Initiative believes it should be celebrated it everyday because, “one girl somewhere around the world is either on her period or just wrapping up her period.
“It is on this note that we are here today to provide 330 girls of Government Girls Secondary School Makurdi with three months sanitary pad supply each,” Ikwue said.
She further called on everyone around the world to join in breaking the taboos and ending the stigma surrounding menstruation by breaking the silence, raising awareness and changing negative social norms around menstrual hygiene.
Head Girl of the school, Lahaver Best and another student, Okpe Maria expressed joy that the organization had taken it upon itself to provide sanitary pads to the students, many of who do not have the resources to purchase pads whenever they are menstruating.
“The initiative is a good one because they have really helped the students because many are not privileged to buy pads. We are very grateful to Acorn Initiative for all it has been doing for our school. We only pray that the Lord will continue to bless and increase them, amen.”
Principal of the school, Mrs. Dorothy Ganyam thanked God for what He is using the Acorn Initiative to do for her school even as she enjoined them to keep up the good work.
“It is not easy because times are hard but Acorn initiative will always come to the aid of the school. Many of the students who are not exposed to using sanitary pads because their parents cannot afford them can now use the pads during their menstruation because Acorn Initiative gave them for free.”
Ganyam urged the organization to extend the gesture to women and girls in rural communities while they also continue to sensitize them on the need to keep menstrual hygiene to avoid unwanted infections.