Oriental Energy Resources, an indigenous oil firm, has commenced the promotion of menstrual health among teenage girls by donating sanitary towels to schools in Akwa Ibom State.
Undertaken in partnership with Aniedi Etim Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, more than 600 teenage girls in Ibesikpo Secondary Commercial School are the first beneficiaries of the gesture, which will be for one year.
It was part of the activities marking this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day with each junior secondary school girl receiving 12 of the items.
Speaking, Mustafa Indimi, executive of Oriental Energy Resources, said, “everyone has the right to education and no girl should stay away from school due to period poverty.
“Our support for 2022 Menstrual Hygiene Health Day is also a contribution towards fighting period poverty, improving health and promoting gender equality in education.”
Indimi, who was represented by Uwem Ite, head of communication and government relations of the oil firm, said the company was acting in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 4 and 5 as approved by the United Nations in September 2015.
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Similarly, Aniedi Etim, CEO and founder, Aniedi Etim Foundation, said she was inspired by the gender discrimination against the girl child right from birth and deep concerns for menstrual health.
“I want us all to be in the know that every child is special. There is no limit to what the child can grow up to accomplish if he or she is given the necessary support, empowerment, love and care”, she said.
Aniedi Etim demonstrated the proper use of sanitary pads to the girls who were largely drawn from JSS 2 and JSS 3 and also presented her book ‘Not a Safe Place’ to hundreds of girls and boys from the school.
The book, which is a government-approved textbook, highlights the snares of child trafficking, child labour and sex slavery.
The event was witnessed by the representative of National Agency for the Prohibition in Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), commissioner for Power and Petroleum Development, Akwa Ibom, officials of the state ministry of education and representatives from the State Secondary Education Board.
Also at the sensitization workshop was Edem Moffat, village head of Ikot Obio Odung and Joseph Udoayang, national president of Ibesikpo Secondary Commercial School (IBESCO).
Reacting on behalf of the Old Students Association, Udoayang lauded the humanitarian assistance of Oriental Energy and the choice of the school.
However, Udoayang requested support for the construction of a science laboratory in the school to record more academic laurels like the achievement of one Godwin Akpan, who scored 301 in the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) Examinations.
Similarly, teenage school girls from Amayam in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area were also presented with the sanitary products.
