Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria’s First Lady, under her pet project Renewed Hope Initiative’s ‘Flow With Confidence’, has donated disposable sanitary pads to 10,000 young girls across the 23 Local Government Areas in Benue State, worth N2,550,297,150.
Flagging off the intervention in Makurdi, the Benue State Capital, Scholastica Ben-Sor, State Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Benue State, explained that the intervention was designed to empower young schoolgirls with knowledge, dignity and confidence to improve their menstrual hygiene.
“Today, I will be handing over 10,000 packs of disposable sanitary pads for distribution to 10,000 deserving girls in rural communities across the state. Each beneficiary will receive a one-year supply of the pads.
“This clearly shows that we will be distributing a one-year supply of disposable sanitary pads to Three Hundred and Seventy Thousand (370,000) schoolgirls in rural communities across the nation at the end of this programme.
“We chose disposable sanitary pads because they offer a simple, hygienic option with better health benefits for a woman’s reproductive well-being.
“It is unacceptable that our girls still continue to face significant challenges during their menstrual cycle, especially those in rural communities, who miss school days every month because they cannot afford sanitary pads.
“Some young girls have resorted to using unsafe and unhygienic alternatives, while others stay at home altogether, falling behind in their studies and, in some cases, eventually dropping out of school.
“For us at RHI, we believe that no girl should ever have to choose between her dignity and her education. The success of the Flow with Confidence programme depends on all of us. This trend must end, and this intervention, under the Education framework of the Renewed Hope Initiative, is a step in that direction”, Ben-Sor said.
While warning against the sale of the pads, the first lady appealed to Council Chairmen to take ownership of the intervention, scale it up, and ensure these supplies get directly to deserving girls in rural communities.
“I want to repeat again: these pads are not to be sold under any circumstance.
“I therefore urge corporate organisations, parastatals, agencies, and well-meaning Nigerians to key into the Flow with Confidence programme, so that we can empower and reach as many girls as possible.
“To our traditional, religious, and community leaders, we cannot do this without your support. I urge you to monitor the distribution exercise in your communities and ensure to support our girls to grow into responsible and informed adults.
“To our dear students and beneficiaries, this is for you. Make the most of it and do not sell the pads. Stay in school, study hard, support one another, and never allow shame or stigma to take away your confidence.
“I want you to use this opportunity to pursue your dreams boldly, because you are the future of this nation and I believe in you. I charge us all to commit to the dignity, well-being, and future of every Nigerian girl. Together, let us keep this promise that our girls will always have the support they need to live, learn, thrive, and Flow with Confidence”, she concluded.
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