By; AMOS EBUTE MATHEW, Kaduna
A foundation known as Protect The Child has carried out health education in Government Secondary School, Luvu Madaki of Nasarawa State in commemoration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
The Abuja-based non-governmental organization dedicated to creating a safe environment for the African child free from child sexual abuse, took a significant health education programme to the mixed secondary school in Masaka, Nasarawa State.
The suburb community which is primarily sustained by farming, witnessed a transformative event as the foundation also celebrated the International Day of the Boy Child with the students of the community school.
Executive Director of the foundation, Barrister Elizabeth Achimugu while soliciting support from individual and corporate organizations, stressed the need for sustained advocacy and sensitization on children’s health and well-being.
During the event, students were divided into four groups to facilitate focused learning with 100 boys as participants.
The boys were assembled into two where they received invaluable insights from expert facilitators on the critical topic of mental health.
The session aimed to raise awareness on sexual abuse and the mental health of the boy child as well as equip them with requisite knowledge to navigate and manage their mental well-being effectively.
The girls on the other hand 100 in number were grouped into two separate classes for targeted discussions on menstrual health and hygiene.
Each group consisted of girls between the ages of 10-14 and 15-18 years respectively were trained by resource persons from the Foundation who engaged the students in practical and detailed conversations about their bodies as females.
The sensitization was designed to educate the girls about the significance of menstrual health, proper hygiene practices during menstruation, and how to accurately calculate their menstrual cycles to help track their periods.
The knowledge empowered them to better manage their health and break the stigma surrounding menstruation.
The non-Profit Organisation introduced games and exciting activities to further drive home their points, while ensuring the students had a lot of fun as well.
Highpoints of the event was distribution of sanitary pads and menstrual flow chart trackers to the girls while the boys received gifts of socks and other items from the Foundation.
