The Non Governmental Organization (NGO) on Friday enrolled fourteen vulnerable girls and children back to school and also sensitized over 1000 in Bauchi State.
Florence Uzoanya, executive director of the NGO, disclosed this while addressing students of Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Bayara, Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Uzoanya explained that the programme is aimed at tackling financial barriers to education, collaborating with community leaders, the Ministry of Education, and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
She said that the enrolled girls participated in a comprehensive sensitization program covering Menstrual health and hygiene, Cancer awareness (breast health), Body autonomy and safety, Confidence and self-esteem building as well as menstrual tracking using My Period Diary (courtesy of She’s the First).
While introducing the Menstruation Bracelet, the girls also received the Menstruation Bracelet, a global symbol consisting of 28 elements, 5 of which are red, representing the average menstrual cycle.
By wearing the bracelet, digitally or physically, they join a movement declaring that periods are nothing to hide; they stand up for a period-friendly world, start conversations, and push back against period stigma.
She further explained that the initiative aims to reduce out-of-school rates, improve menstrual health practices, enhance body autonomy awareness, foster confidence, support girls’ education and prevent abuse against the girl child.
“By empowering girls through education and promoting a period-friendly culture, we shape a brighter future for Bauchi’s next generation.
“Yes, my call is, I call on the good meaning Nigerians, I call on the government. I call them because most of the schools we have visited. You see that there is an urgent call for infrastructure,” she added.
She stressed that, “Again, if children don’t have an enabling environment they won’t come to school. There’s nothing and reason keeping them in school. So we are here, also to see that we keep girls in school. We make them come to school.”
Read also: UNICEF advocates new initiatives to keep girls in school
She wants well-meaning Nigerians to put heads together to salvage the situation saying that, “As you can see the assault, we still have a lot of work to do. We don’t need to wait for money to do these things. Even from our own personal pockets, we can go out, reach out to people or every Friday call on people just to come out, help our children because if we don’t do it, these children are still our own and we are seeing this in society.
“I call on the CSOs while I call on the government; I call on the parents to encourage their children to come to school because if your children are not in school, they will not be able to reach their potential. They will acquire knowledge, they require knowledge that they need,” she stressed.
“I want to also appreciate the people that made this happen. There are some people that I will call on like, Dr Elisha Bello, executive director, Bincike International and Rev Father Robert Psinon, executive director, SELL Foundation, these are people that we reached out to, that were able to support us.
“We are grateful for the support of the Commissioner of Education, Dr. Jamila Mohammed Dahiru, and SUBEB’s Executive Chairman, Adamu Duguri who approved and encouraged our initiative.”
“We also appreciate the school Principals and Community leaders who welcomed our efforts. Their backing was crucial, enabling us to reach over 1,000 girls. Without their support, we wouldn’t have made such progress,” she concluded.
Volunteer with the NGO, Samuel Christiana explained that the girls are to be taught how to track their menstrual circles as well as how to maintain personal health and hygiene including their mental health issues.
Tabitha Ali is, head mistress of the GDSS Bayara, commended the NGO for choosing the school for the programme, which she opined came at the right time.
On his part, Danladi Z. Sarki, secretary, Nazareth Community in Bayara, commended the NGO for the initiative, which has seen four girls from the community re-enrolled back to school saying that it is a thing of joy.
He assured that as a community leader, he would continue to champion the cause of the vulnerable people in the community particularly the Girl child so that she can become a useful vessel to the community in the future.
Some of the students expressed their happiness for coming back to school, assuring that they will do their best to become someone in the future in order to be useful to society after reaching their full potential.
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