By Philip Tengzu
Wa, (UW/R), Dec. 05, GNA – The Community Aid for Rural Development (CARD) Ghana, has installed a ‘Pad Bank’ at the Wa Methodist School for the Blind (Wa Blind), as part of activities marking the International Day of Persons with Disability (PWD).
It was stocked with sanitary pads and expected to serve the menstrual hygiene needs of the pupils at the school.
Addressing the pupils to open the facility, Ms Ernestina Biney, the Acting Executive Director of CARD Ghana, said the intervention would help mitigate the monthly challenges and stress the girls went through to access sanitary pads for their menstrual hygiene.
“Sanitary pad banks are crucial in promoting menstrual hygiene, addressing period poverty, empowering individuals, improving health outcomes, and breaking taboos.
They are an essential resource for ensuring that everyone had access to the menstrual products they need for a healthy and dignified period experience,” she explained.
Miss Biney, therefore, appealed to members of the public to contribute to sustaining the pad bank by regularly donating sanitary pads to restock it at all times.
She commended the Upper West Regional Director of the Department of Gender (DoG) for pledging to donate sanitary pads to the pad bank monthly.
Miss Biney also encouraged the school management to ensure proper use of the facility for it to serve the intended purpose, urging that a committed student or dedicated staff member should be assigned to manage the pad bank.
Talking about disability day, she stressed the need for all to stand in solidarity with PWDs who faced unique challenges because they were differently abled.
“Let’s celebrate their strength, resilience, and contributions to society. Together, let’s advocate for inclusivity, accessibility, and equal opportunities for all. Remember, disability does not define a person’s worth,” she observed.
Madam Anna Nabere, the She Leads Project Manager at Plan International Ghana, in a speech read on her behalf, said by recognising and valuing the unique contributions of PWDs, a way was paved for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world.
She said the disability day should be used to amplify the voices of PWDs, acknowledge their challenges and work together to break barriers that impeded their full participation in all aspects of life.
Some students of the Wa Blind thanked CARD Ghana for the intervention and that the pad bank had come at the right time to help improve their access to sanitary pads, considering the high cost of those essential products on the market.
Ms Elizabeth Akuzoba, the Senior Girls Prefect of the school said, “We are going to benefit from it a lot because sometimes it’s not always easy. Now the pad is very costly to the extent that some of us can’t even afford it”.
“Sometimes when we are in our menstrual period, we always find it difficult to handle ourselves, even to get active access to classes is always a challenge,” she added.
The girls, in a communiqué, also called on stakeholders to ensure a supportive social system for PWDs to help foster an inclusive and equitable society for all.
Miss Memuna Ahmed, the Assistant Library Prefect who read the communiqué said there was the need to address societal barriers against PWDs, to help foster an equitable society for PWDS to enhance their development.
Representatives from the DoG, Bahas Foundation, and activists with CARD Ghana among others attended the activity, which formed part of the implementation of the She Leads project.
GNA