The Central Regional Education Directorate has launched a ‘Pad Bank’ project to provide girls in basic schools with essential quality sanitary materials.
The Pad Bank project is expected to help girls in schools within the region to remain confident during their menstrual flow.
The launch was held at the Mfantsipim School under the theme: Empowering Girls Breaking Barriers with Dignity.
According to the Regional Director of Education, Emmanuel Assumah, the challenges girls face during their menstrual flow such as the use of unhygienic menstrual materials like fabric pieces, leaves, cement papers and polythene bags need to be eliminated to safeguard the health of girls.
He lamented that while some have become a laughing stock among their peers because they soiled themselves, others go to the extent of exchanging sex for money to purchase pads.
He therefore said awareness creation and education among girls, their parents and boys on menstrual hygiene are needful to addressing the challenges.
“We want to ensure the availability of safe and affordable menstrual hygiene products such as sanitary pads to all girls in the schools. We also want to enhance infrastructure facilities, create a supportive and inclusive school environment, free from stigma and discrimination related to menstruation,” he continued.
Additionally, Mr. Assumah indicated that they seek to establish a monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track the pad bank project’s impact, gather feedback and make necessary adjustments to ensure it continues.
He also implored the public to support the regional education office with Pads to distribute to girls.
“Whatever support, don’t give us the money, just go to any shop and bring us the pad. If you cannot, you can also send the money so that together we support these girls,” he said.
The Central Regional Girls’ Education Officer, Priscilla Christabel Eshun stressed the need to eliminate factors that make girls uncomfortable during their menses in schools.
She mentioned that the pad bank will therefore house the sanitary products which will be periodically distributed among girls during advocacies and community engagements. some ways in which the pad bank is going to be sustained.
“With the sustainability, we are looking at having our regional stores keep it, making sure that when we go there, we write a requisition form to take it and then whatever we give out, we account for.”
Meanwhile, Jacob Anzi Quainoo, the keynoter and head of Elmina Methodist Junior High School, reiterated that the launching of the project should not be an excuse for parents to neglect their duties, urging all to come on board and support the project.
He pledged his absolute support to the pad bank and a yearly commitment of thousand Ghana cedis to the pad bank.
“We must all put our shoulder to the wheel to support this project to succeed for it to be a hallmark or a legacy for posterity … Together, let us commit ourselves to empowering girls, breaking barriers and ensuring a better and brighter future for all. Because of this, I will make a yearly donation of 1,000 cedis to the pad bank.
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Source: Flora Tang/ATLFMNEWS
