By Aderogba George
The Nikki Udezue Foundation (NUF) has empowered students on menstrual hygiene through its “Pad a Girl” project to address period poverty among indigent girls.
The Founder and President of the Foundation, Mrs Nkeiruka Udezue, disclosed this during an outreach tagged “Pad a Girl Niger State” held at the Government Technical College, Kwamba on Thursday.
Udezue said the project aimed to provide sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene education to girls, while also sensitising boys on cleanliness and health-related practices.
“Presently, we have done this in about two to three schools and reached up to 1,000 to 2,000 students.
“This outreach alone is reaching about 1,000 students, including 600 girls who are being equipped with pads,” she said.
She called for government support and collaboration with well-meaning individuals to scale up the project to more schools within and outside Abuja.
“This initiative has so far been funded personally. We look forward to partnerships that can help us reach millions of schoolgirls within the FCT and across Nigeria,” Udezue said.
She added that, beyond distributing pads, the foundation also educated girls on menstrual hygiene, cleanliness, and how to manage challenges associated with menstruation while in school.
According to her, the girls were taught the dos and don’ts of menstrual hygiene and how to dispose of used pads properly to maintain a healthy environment.
Udezue said the outreach was part of her way of giving back to society in commemoration of her 43rd birthday.
“This project today cost about three million naira, funded from my pocket. Every Nov. 5th marks a new year for me, a time to thank God and start afresh,” she said.
Also speaking, Mrs Deborah Mbah, Chief Nursing Officer, said the group aimed to guide girls on maintaining proper hygiene during their menstrual cycle.
“It is one thing for a girl to menstruate and another to maintain a clean body and environment during that period,” she said.
Mbah warned that poor menstrual hygiene could lead to infections after menstruation, urging girls to stay clean and use appropriate materials.
“We came with pads and underpants, two key items every girl needs during her period,” she added.
The Vice Principal (Special Duties), Suleiman Barau Technical College, Kwamba, Mr Abubakar Suleiman, commended the foundation for the initiative.
He said the awareness was timely and would help guide the students on proper hygiene practices.
“We are very grateful. The students have learnt a lot from your teaching on how to maintain their bodies,” he said.
Suleiman appealed to the foundation to further assist the school with chairs and other essential items.
The Head Girl, Ms Goodnews Yakubu, who spoke on behalf of the students, thanked the foundation for the initiative.
“We learnt how to take good care of ourselves, practise good hygiene, and maintain cleanliness during menstruation,” she said. (NAN)
