PATH SCHOOL TOUR LAUNCH: World Menstrual Hygiene Day

We have officially flagged off another project called Pay Attention To Her (PATH) Project to commemorate the World Menstrual Hygiene Day, which was marked worldwide on 28th of May, 2018.

This project will focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of girls and women, reorienting and enlightening them about sexual education, menstrual hygiene, abortion, Sexually Transmitted Infections(STI), violence against women and girls, etc. The PATH project has taken off with sexual education, menstrual hygiene education and distribution of free sanitary pads and hygiene products to secondary school girls.

Dr Kelechi Okoro, Founder and executive director of the organization, speaking at the launch with over 300 girls at Al Ansar Secondary School, New Layout in Lokoja, talked on the ills false perception of menstruation by young girls as disgraceful, shameful and dirty.

She acknowledged that young school girls are having limited access to affordable sanitary materials thereby making them use unhygienic options that increases their risk of having infections that may affect their reproduction in future. She thoroughly educated them on self confidence and self awareness too.

Several top government functionaries and seasoned keynote speakers were on ground to impact on the program. Amongst them was the Chairman Board of Trustees of HEAL For Africa who doubles as the Executive Director of Tiny Beating Hearts Initiative.  Mrs. Petra Akinti Onyegbule, inspired the participants to become self confident and dissuaded them from being sober and sad when they find themselves menstruating especially for the first time especially when mistakes of being stained occurs during this period. She spoke extensively on "Empowering the Girl Child and it's Role in Nation Building".

Also in attendance was the Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Mrs. Ayoade Folashade Arike(PhD), whose motherly speech stood upon the awesome deliveries of previous speakers like Dr. Attah Ahmed, the Special Adviser on Health to Kogi State Governor and Mrs. Musa Mimi Sandra, the Senior Special Assistant on Women and Children Development to Kogi State Governor.

The program was wrapped with goodwill messages from Queen Sarah Yusuf, the Publisher Xera Magazine, Miss Aliyu Rufia, the Teen Ambassador of the PATH Project and Principal of the host school, Alhaji Gimba Ibrahim.

Thanks to the Coordinator of the Not Too Young To Run Bill, Umar DanAssabe Mohammed and the #Heal Tribe who put in their best to ensure that the program was a success.

Today, over 300 hundred girls have been trained on menstrual Hygiene management and received free sanitary pads and personal hygiene products.

Feel free to share our work to inspire others!