By D.I. Laary
Tafo (E/R), May 28, GNA – AABRYT Foundation has organised a mentorship and health workshop for students of WBM Zion Senior High School (SHS) to promote menstrual hygiene, build girls’ confidence, and guide students in making informed career choices.
The programme, themed “From Cycle to Career: Empowering Girls for Healthy Living and Future Success,” brought together students, health professionals, and officers from Ghana’s security services to provide guidance on menstrual health, leadership, and career development.
Welcoming participants, Ms Diana Akosua Adutwumwaa Britwum, Founder and Executive Director of AABRYT Foundation, said the initiative forms part of efforts to strengthen youth empowerment through health advocacy, mentorship, and education.
“At AABRYT Foundation, we remain committed to transforming lives through health advocacy, education, mentorship and empowerment,” she stated.
She said the Foundation would continue to support adolescents, particularly those in underserved communities, through menstrual and reproductive health education, educational advancement, and gender empowerment.
Ms Britwum noted that menstrual health challenges continue to affect girls’ confidence, school attendance, and academic performance, stressing that discussions on menstrual health should not concern girls alone.
“When one part of society lacks understanding, the entire society suffers from silence, stigma and misinformation,” she noted.
She further explained that boys were intentionally included in the programme to promote empathy, respect, and shared responsibility among students.
“A healthy society is built when young men protect dignity instead of mocking it, and when young women feel supported instead of isolated,” she added.
She disclosed that the Foundation had donated more than 20,000 sanitary pads to over 5,000 girls across the Eastern, Ashanti, Greater Accra, Central, Oti and Volta regions.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the Headmistress of WBM Zion Senior High School, Mrs Abena Owarewaa Debrah, described the workshop as timely and important for students’ personal development.
“This programme has come at the right time to help our girls build confidence,” she said.
She explained that the menstrual health sessions would equip students with practical knowledge on hygiene and self-care, while the career guidance sessions would help them make informed academic and professional decisions.
She added that the programme was particularly beneficial to final-year students preparing for tertiary education and future careers.
Mrs Debrah also praised the academic performance and discipline of female students, noting that girls consistently outperformed boys in the school.
“In the 2025 WASSCE, a girl obtained the best grade in the school,” she revealed.
She appealed for support to address the school’s infrastructure challenges ahead of the implementation of the single-track system.
She indicated that the school needed additional dormitories, classrooms, beds, and teachers to improve teaching and learning conditions.
She further called for a manual water pump to support students during power outages, explaining that the mechanised water system becomes unreliable whenever electricity supply is interrupted.
“We are a relatively new school with a large tract of land, so we need more infrastructure,” she said.
Mrs Debrah appealed to philanthropists, stakeholders, old students, and the public to support the development of the school.
She said the school currently has a student population of 2,368, with girls forming the majority.
The workshop, part of AABRYT’s “Glow, Grow and Bold Futures” initiative, was organised in collaboration with WBM Zion SHS, Ghana’s security services, and other partners to equip students with health knowledge, mentorship, and career guidance.
GNA
Edited by Audrey Dekalu
Reporter: D.I. Laary