By Chimezie Godfrey
The Executive Director, Health Aid For all Initiative (HAFAI) Dr. Ugochi Ohajuruka has called on decision makers in Nigeria to invest in education, and awareness campaigns to destigmatize menstruation.
She also urged the government to provide adequate sanitary facilities in schools and workplaces and prioritize menstrual equity in the country.
In commemoration of the 2023 Menstrual Hygiene Day, with theme,”We are committed”, HAFAI in collaboration with the HEARD AFRICA Initiative, held a sensitization campaign at the Durumi IDP camp, in Abuja.
HAFAI and its partners sensitized the
girls in the Durumi IDP Camp on issues relating to menstrual stigma, knowledge of proper menstrual health, and eco -friendly menstrual solutions, which culminated in the launch of safe space for the girls, among other laudable interventions.
Dr Ohajuruka in her remark charged policymakers, especially the new administration of President Bola Tinubu to prioritize female reproductive health.
She said,”HAFAI holds club programs regularly in schools, communities and IDP camps where we educate and empower girls in issues pertaining to health and education.
“This year, we are commemorating menstrual hygiene day at Durumi IDP camp. The theme for this year’s menstrual hygiene day is “we are committed “. We are committed to building a world where no one is held back because they menstruate.
“As an organization our aim is to tackle menstrual stigma, provide knowledge of proper Menstrual health and provide eco -friendly menstrual solutions to vulnerable girls.
“We are also leveraging on this opportunity to launch our safe space for girls in the Durumi IDP Camp, so girls can have a place to learn and connect with one another.
“This years MHDAY event will include a display of entrepreneurial skills and talents by girls who have benefited from our mentorship programs.
“Girls will receive reusable Menstrual kits, we will provide knowledge as regards the usage and maintenance of the kits and also engage in activities such as menstruation MythBusters and arts /craft projects.
“We urge decision makers to invest in education and awareness campaigns to destigmatize menstruation, provide adequate sanitary facilities in schools and workplaces and prioritize menstrual equity.”
Dr Ohajuruka added,”I want to reiterate that menstruation is a normal biological process and without periods, there will be no people.”
She revealed that the reusable menstrual kits distributed to the girls would last them three years.
On how they were able to sort for funding for the project, Dr Ugochi said,”We have so many partners, we have private partners, we have philanthropists, who know about the importance of our work and just support; like today we are going to be donating reusable menstrual kit to every of these girls here so they can be in school. Our kits lasts for up to three years. So our girls will not bother about menstrual supplies for the next three years. They can be in school and participate fully in class, then we can talk about achieving gender equality.
“So when we talk about these issues to fellow women, they know, women know what women face. They are able to put money together and say, oh, let’s support these girls and let’s support this women. So we have individual donors. We have organization donors, we have you know agencies, we don’t have particular donors, anybody who hears the story of women and girls and wants to support is our partner.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, HEARD AFRICA Initiative, Akaoma Onyemalukwe stressed the need for empowering girls in order to prepare them for a lifelong experience of growth, developments and achievements.
“We are here today collaborating with HAFAI where we launching the safe space and also celebrating the menstrual hygiene day. This particular intervention for us is big and it has a lot of roots in developing girls, empowering girls, preparing them for a lifelong experience of growth and developments and achievements. So doing this with the safe space and the club that we’ve done, we have deal skills.
“We have built skills. We have also built capacity within them, built knowledge, and these are things that will translate them into that real person that we want them to be. When I say real person, I mean, a person who is useful to society, a girl who grows into a woman of essence, who understands her worth, who understands who she is, and also prepare her womanhood as she grows.
“You know, many of them are within the ages of 16, 17, and 18. So the knowledge of what their body looks like and the skills they have, also ensures that they are prevented from all the vulnerabilities that are around them and being girls who have been displaced.This prepares them even as most of those locations gets back into recovery. They will be men and girls who become very useful to society.
“We are very grateful to our funders and our supporters who have helped us so far and we are open to more partnerships,”
She explained that the impact of the space being launched was that it helps the children, and the girls where they can participate.
“The impact of this space being launched today is that it helps the children, the girls to have a place where they can participate, do their club activities, a place where they can talk, relate, interact: a place where they own, it gives them a sense of ownership, a sense of identity. And using this safe space more organizations can actually even use here to interact with the people there and do a lot of a activities. So, they can learn here, they can prepare things here, They can built skills just using this space. So it gives them, safety. Safety, Safety, and we are very grateful,”she said.
Some of the girls who participated in the activities at the camp expressed their excitement, and gratitude to HAFAI for empowering them.
One of the girls, Ummi Umar, 16 years old, and a member glow club established by HAFAI, said the program has helped her learn how to make decision using the principles which they have been taught.
She said,”My name is Ummi Umar. I am 26 years old. I am a member of Glow club. I have been in charge and the leader of Rugby Glow club for a while now. And am assisting the mentors by calling out for club activities and History radio program to know more about ourselves and our community.
“I learn how to make decision using the principles of patience, predict, and plan rule.”
Another participant, Aliheri Samaila said,”I love attending and participating Glow club where I get to learn more about core moral values that will help me in life.”
The Durumi IDP camp chairman, Ibrahim Ahamadu expressed gratitude to HAFAI and its partners for coming to the aide of the girls in the camp.
“I thank HAFA for helping the lives of the girls in this camp. I call on other organization to learn from those who have come to help our women. I really appreciate, may Allah God bless you,” he prayed.
As pointed out, the highlight of the event was the launch of the safe spacesafe space for girls in the Durumi IDP Camp and distribution of reusable menstrual kits to the girls, among other laudable interventions.
World Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated on May 28 every year.
