By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
Wealthy individuals, Corporate organizations, Donor Partners as well as stakeholders in the menstrual hygiene sector have been urged to stretch support to women and girls who are currently taking refuge in camps.
The call was made by a Bauchi based NGO, Attah Sisters Helping Hands (ASHH) Foundation in order to take care of the Menstrual Hygiene needs of Women and Girls that were displaced and currently taking refuge in some camps as a result of the recent devastating flood that swept across Maiduguri and environs.
Executive Director of the ASHH Foundation, Comfort Ene Attah stressed the need for sanitary pads and other menstrual hygiene products to be distributed to the women and girls in such camps.
The Executive Director of ASHH Foundation made the call while interacting with Newsmen in Bauchi on Sunday aftermath of the flooding.
According to her, She was triggered to start the menstrual hygiene products campaign because of the ordeal the women and girls are facing in accessing sanitary pads during their menstrual periods while in the camps.
She stressed that the move by ASHH Foundation has become necessary considering the situation the women and girls found themselves in, due to the flood that displaced them.
According to her, “A woman that had a miscarriage in one of the camps shared her touching story with me on how her bleeding was stopped after her miscarriage. The woman informed me that it took the intervention of some women within the camp, using their headtiers as pads to control the bleeding.”
Comfort Attah added that, “What this means is the use of unhygienic materials as sanitary pads which could cause infection for the user. This is just one woman alone. You can imagine the number of women and girls is such camps that can’t afford sanitary pads.”
She added that, “ASHH Foundation has sent some cartons of sanitary pads to the camps, but it is grossly inadequate. That is why we are soliciting for assistance from governments, corporate bodies and well meaning individuals to procure such menstrual hygiene products for onward distribution to the women and girls in such camps.”
The ED further said that ASHH Foundation is willing to assist in sending such products across stressing that the need is urgent considering the unhygienic environment they found themselves in.
She stated that, “For more information on how to send the products to the women and girls in the camps, potential donors get reach ASHH Foundation on +2348067939429, +2349165700713 +2347067677722 . Other information for the campaign drive can be found in our fliers too”.
