By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
A Non-governmental Organisation, Nurture and Empower Her Initiative (NEHI), has proudeced a handbook titled ‘Bleed with Pride” aimed at teaching adolescent school girls in Bauchi on the importance of mestrual hygiene education.
The handbook, written by the Executive Director of NEHI, Florence Izoanya, was formally unveiled and presented to adolescent school girls drawn from selected Secondary schools in Bauchi, on Wednesday at the Government Girls College.
During the unveiling and presentation ceremony, selected Fitfy girls and a few boys were trained on how to handle menstrual issues particularly for the first time just as they were trained on how to produce reusable sanitary pads.
Speaking during the ceremony, Florence Uzoanya said that, ‘Today is the unveiling of Bleed with Pride handbook and also a day to sensitize girls on menstrual hygiene and health management. This book is a friendly handbook for every girl’s first period and beyond.”
Adolescent boy explaining menstruation tracking
She added that,”Like, you know, as we all know, a lot of girls don’t know what to expect on their first period flow, so we prepared this book. It’s a very friendly one that we have prepared for them to know what to expect. They are not panic or be afraid.”
To stakeholders on menstrual health management, She said, “What I have to pass across is for stakeholders, I mean the MDAs, the CSOs, that we should all come together, pool resources together, and see that menstrual health and hygiene education is embedded into the school structure and even the school curriculum, because it’s a very, very important topic that I feel we are not really making much noise about.”
On what informed the publication of the book and her inspiration, the ED said that,”And what inspired me to go about the book is my story. Yes, my story inspired me because growing up, I had a lot of fears and aside from fears, there are so many information that I was growing with, not knowing that they are not true.’
Florence Uzoanya added, “So, and the girls also that we work with in the schools, communities, these girls also inspired me because anytime we go out there for outreaches, we discover that the questions they’re asking, we cannot answer all. And as many of them do not even know what menstruation is really all about.’
According to her, “So, this really inspired me to come about this handbook because it’s not a manual, it’s not bulky. We made it very simple in a way that girls can understand and then enjoy that they are women, enter adulthood without fear, with confidence and dignity. ‘
She then disclosed that,’We invited six schools, including the host school. We have about 60 students, majority are adolescent girls and a few boys.’
In her remarks, Principal of Government Girls College (GGC), Bauchi, Hadiza Sagir Ibrahim, commended Nurture and Empower Her Initiative (NEHI), for embarking on the project and choosing her school as host of the event.
She described menstrual and hygiene education as the most important thing to impart on adolescent school girls considering the myth associated with the issues.
The Principal further stressed the need for relevant agencies to step up activities that will get the Adolescent Girls well educated about menstrual hygiene education so that they will go through it with pride and minimal stress.
According to her, “At this point, no adolescent girl should miss school just because she is going through menstruation, like here in GGC which is a boarding school, no girl should miss class because of her period.”
The Principal stressed that, “Metropolitan is not a harm or a taboo, it is a pride to every female. So, we want our adolescent girls to bleed with pride.”
Some of the girls who have read the handbook expressed satisfaction with the contents saying that it really opened their understanding of the issue of menstruation which is a natural thing.
The boys said that they have learnt the importance of supporting the girls during their monthly flow rather than making mockery of them during such period.
Unveiling and presenting the handbook
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