By James Esuon
Agona Mensakrom (C/R) June 22, GNA- The Marigold Foundation, a menstrual hygiene advocacy organisation, has distributed 1,500 sanitary pads to five community Basic in the Agona East District of the Central Region.
The distribution formed part of a campaign to educate girls to observe their periods decently without difficulty or fear.
The beneficiary communities are Agona Mensakrom, Agona Duakwa, Nsaba, Seth Okai and Agona Nintah.
Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Marigold Foundation, who addressed teachers and the girls at separate meetings, said the aim of the Foundation was to ensure proper development of girls.
Mrs Assan, a former Central Regional Minister, said menstruation was a natural phenomenon made by the creator to make women unique, and must not be perceived as sickness.
She reminded young girls that their parents were struggling to cater for their education, feeding, clothing and other provisions for them to have a better future.
They should therefore stay away from premarital sex in order not to truncate their education prematurely with unwanted pregnancies.
She cautioned the schoolgirls not to use menstruation as basis for absenting themselves from school and also avoid asking money from men or boys to buy sanitary pads in exchange for sex.
Mrs Assan urged the girls to cease all sexual relationships with JHS mates or any male teachers and focus on pursuing higher education to assist them become good leaders in the society.
She said there were some girls in rural communities who lacked finances to buy sanitary pads and urged such girls to at least use other alternatives during that critical period.
She called on all menstrual hygiene advocacy groups to support the efforts of the Foundation, organisations, corporate bodies and others to reach out to more Basic School girls, particularly those in rural communities.
She said the Foundation had taken the menstrual hygiene campaign to more Basic Schools to create awareness and spoke against men and young boys who molest girls during their menstrual periods to avert unwanted pregnancies to stop or get prosecuted when caught.
The CEO expressed gratitude to the partners of the Foundation, including Healing Hearted Hands and others for their unwavering support over the years that had helped it to reach out to more girls.
Mrs Assan called for intensified advocacy drive by the clergy, queen mothers and other women’s organisations to assist provide sanitary pads to the less privileged girls.
The CEO appealed to parents to take critical care of their girl child and nurture them well to grow to become responsible ladies.
The former Central Regional Minister, lauded teachers, the schoolgirls, opinion leaders and the media for their unwavering support and mutual understanding that had culminated in the success of the Foundation’s campaign on menstrual hygiene and dental health to the people of the region and beyond.
Mrs Comfort Quansah, the Assembly Woman for Agona Nsaba Salem Electoral Area, expressed gratitude to the Marigold Foundation for the distribution of sanitary pads plus the education given to the schoolgirls in the five communities in the Agona East District.
She expressed optimism that the girls would take the education seriously so that they would not fall prey to wicked boys and unscrupulous men.
Mrs Quansah appealed to other organisations to support girls particularly in rural communities to help them to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
May 28 every year, is set aside to celebrate World Menstrual hygiene Day, and as part of the campaign, the Marigold Foundation presents sanitary pads to schoolgirls in districts in the Central Region and sensitises Basic School girls on the phenomenon.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey /Benjamin Mensah