By Muhammad Babayo Asha
A Bauchi Base Non Governmental Organization Leadtots Development Initiative has advocated establishment of pad banks in formal and non formal schools to ensure uninterupted educational pursue of the girl child.
The Leadtots Development Initiative is implementing Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Education Project funded by Global Affairs, Canada through PLAN International in Bauchi.
In a welcome address at a one day round table discussion on resource mobilization for the establishment of the pad banks in Bauchi, Executive Director of the Initiative, Nicholas Oshojah Afeso said the aim is to improve reproductive health for girls women and vulnerable groups.
Nicholas Oshojah Afeso called on the critical stakeholders to support the Initiative towards championing the course of adolescent girls attending schools without interruptions as a result of menstruation.
In a presentation titled, the importance of pad banks in schools and challenges faced by students during menstruation, an health practitioner Mrs Rifkatu Ibrahim Joga said the World’s Menstrual Hygiene Day was first celebrated globally on the 28th May, 2013 to create awareness.
Mrs Rifkatu Ibrahim Joga who is also a nurse and social worker noted that an adolescent girl missed 4 to 5 days classes in a month because of her menstruation.
While enumerating challenges like lack of pads, clean toilets, running water among other things that posed threats to girl child education, Mrs Rifkatu Ibrahim Joga believed that stigma and taboo deprived them from realizing their potentials.
In another presentation on the role of government in financing and advancing menstrual hygiene management in schools, Mr Danjuma Moses Kusko noted that provision of the pad banks would improve enrollment, retention and completion.
Mr Danjuma Moses Kusko urged government to develop policy framework, budgetary allocation and awareness campaign to reduce stigma amongst adolescent girls.
He decried limited allocation and releases if funds to education and health, lack of coordination among stakeholders in that direction and solicited for the provision of free or low cost pads to reduce girls child absenteeism in schools.
Radio Nigeria gathered that the participants pledged readiness to support the Initiative towards ensuring the creation of awareness campaigns to establish pad banks in schools to guarantee the educational pursue of the girl child.
Highlight of the meeting which featured donations of pad banks to some selected secondary schools drew participants from Civil Society and Non Governmental Organizations, the academia, faith based organizations, PLWD and the media.
