Foundation donates sanitary pads to 1,200 schoolgirls
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Ntiamoah Foundation, has donated 150 boxes of sanitary pads to 15 basic schools in the Birim North District, Ayawaso East and Ayawaso West municipalities for distribution to schoolgirls.
A total of 1,200 schoolgirls would benefit from three packs of the pads.
The donation, which coincided with the commemoration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, formed part of the NGO’s initiative to promote menstrual hygiene and help keep the girls in school.
The Programme Manager of Ntiamoah Foundation, Williams Sarpong, presented nine boxes of the pads to 600 schoolgirls in the Birim North District at a ceremony at Nyafoman last Tuesday.
The beneficiaries were Adadekrom, Mpintimpi, Amenam, Oda Akrofonso District Assembly, Nyafoman, Noyem, Afosu Roman Catholic, Afosu Islamic and Afoso CRIG International Schools.
Mr Sarpong said Ntiamoah Foundation had observed that many young girls missed classes or even dropped out of school due to a lack of basic sanitary supplies.
He stated that the donation was a significant step towards breaking the silence around menstruation, removing stigma and helping schoolgirls stay focused on their education without fear or shame.
“We value girls and believe in their potential,” he emphasised.
Mr Sarpong thanked teachers, parents and community leaders for their continuous support in nurturing young minds and creating an environment where every child would thrive.
He stressed that the Ntiamoah Foundation believed that when a girl was educated, a community was empowered, and for that matter, the foundation would continue to invest in programmes that would improve health, education and opportunities for all.
The Birim North District Director of Education, Solomon Azubila, who received the items on behalf of the beneficiary schools, was full of praise for the Ntiamoah Foundation for its commitment to education development and health promotion.
He emphasised that the function was aimed at creating awareness that menstruation is not taboo, but demonstrates that girls who had their periods were fertile.
Mr Azubila advised parents to provide sanitary pads for their daughters at school so that they would not soil themselves and their uniforms, which could compel them to be absent from school.
The District Girl Child Coordinator, Juliet Akua Frimpong, said due to the lack of sanitary pads, some schoolgirls absented themselves from school whenever they menstruated, which retarded their academic progress.
