By Kekeli K. Blamey
Sogakope (V/R), July 10, GNA – A volunteer-led menstrual health initiative implemented by the Gender and Reproductive Health Advocacy Youth Network (GRAY Network), with support from the STAR-Ghana Foundation, has significantly improved school attendance, confidence and dignity among adolescent girls in the South Tongu and Central Tongu districts of the Volta Region.
The intervention, implemented under the Strengthening Volunteer-Led Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) and Life Skills Education in Schools and Communities Project, benefited girls in Atsieve, Lakpo and Avakpedome Basic Schools.
Mr Godsway Mensah, Programme Manager of GRAY Network, said the project sought to address one of the major barriers to girls’ education by providing reusable sanitary pads, menstrual hygiene education and community sensitisation to ensure that menstruation no longer prevented girls from attending school.
He said the organisation mobilised and trained community volunteers to spearhead menstrual hygiene management activities in the beneficiary communities.
Mr Mensah said the volunteers also trained local seamstresses to produce washable reusable sanitary pads, distributed menstrual hygiene kits to 69 vulnerable girls, established School Health Clubs, trained peer educators and engaged teachers, parents, boys and community leaders through community outreach and radio discussions.
According to him, the awareness campaign reached more than 1,350 people across the beneficiary communities.
Beneficiaries who spoke to the Ghana News Agency said the intervention had transformed their lives by restoring their confidence and enabling them to remain in school throughout their menstrual periods.
Miss Emmanuella and Miss Gloria, beneficiaries of the project, said that before receiving the reusable sanitary pads, they relied on rags and tissue paper during menstruation, a situation that often caused embarrassment and compelled them to miss classes.
They said the reusable sanitary pads had enabled them to attend school regularly, participate actively in lessons and successfully complete Junior High School.
Madam Celestine Sewoenam Korsi-Agordo, South Tongu District Director of Education, said many girls previously missed classes during menstruation due to poverty and the inability of parents to provide sanitary products.
She said the intervention had improved school attendance, classroom participation, and academic performance, while easing the financial burden on vulnerable families.
Madam Xorsenyo Agbenyefia, Girls’ Child Coordinator at Lakpo D/A Basic School, said girls now attended school with greater confidence and no longer feared embarrassment during menstruation.
Mr James Sadekla, Headteacher of Lakpo D/A Basic School, described the transformation among girls in the school as remarkable.
“Before the project, many of our girls lacked confidence during menstruation because they could not afford sanitary pads.”
He said the initiative had restored the dignity of adolescent girls and improved their participation in both academic and extracurricular activities.
Mr Seth Fiagorme, South Tongu District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, commended the initiative, saying it had enhanced girls’ health, confidence and access to education while promoting dignity and social inclusion.
Reaffirming its commitment to adolescent girls’ empowerment, GRAY Network said it would continue to collaborate with government institutions, development partners, schools, traditional authorities and local communities to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, strengthen menstrual hygiene management and support girls through volunteerism.
The organisation said it remained committed to ensuring that no girl was denied her right to education because of menstruation, while contributing to national efforts to achieve quality education, gender equality and improved reproductive health outcomes.
The GNA observed that the project had also encouraged positive behavioural change among boys through volunteer-led School Health Clubs and peer education sessions, helping to reduce stigma associated with menstruation and create a more supportive school environment.
Parents who participated in the programme said the reusable sanitary pads had reduced household expenditure and encouraged open discussions on menstrual health, while helping to protect girls from vulnerabilities associated with the inability to afford sanitary products.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah