Yemisi Dada
In a bid to end period poverty and promote good hygiene behaviors, an NGO, WaterAid Nigeria has launched a project towards innovating, sustainable growth and green transition to end period poverty in Nigeria.
At the unveiling of the project at Agidingbi Junior and Senior Grammar School, Ikeja, the WaterAid Nigeria Project Manager, Mrs Grace Uwadiale, said the initiative was to promote the use of safe and recyclable pads by girls and women.
Mrs Uwadiale who noted that the one year end period poverty with two focal LCDAs being Ojodu and Ikorodu North, would also promote local production, empower women through skill acquisition and create job opportunities in manufacturing safe pads.
On her part, the Project Coordinator, Mrs Patricia Ashindam, assured that the safe pads produced locally in the country would be affordable and reduce cost expended on non-reusable pads to boost girls confidence and reduce out of school girls during their menstrual flows.
“WaterAid Nigeria is committed to a safe, hygiene and sanitation in all facets and this promotion of menstrual hygiene using safe pads will encourage more girls to go to school during their monthly flow. Do not be ashamed of menstration it is nature and part of life as a female, do it with dignity and do not be ashamed of it”
Representative of the Lagos Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Akinyemi Babatunde, commended WaterAid for its numerous hygiene and sanitation intervention projects in Lagos and promised continued collaboration to achieve an environmentally friendly society.
“We as Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, we are already advocating use of reusable materials in Lagos, and this safe pad Initiative is eco-friendly and will help reduce blockages of sewage due to flushing of disposable pads, we thank WaterAid Nigeria for its WASH project across schools in Lagos and we will continue to ensure more Partnership for hygiene behaviors changes”
Some of the participants which included students from public schools in Lagos, raised concerns on the affordability and availability of the safe pads and advocated collaboration with more NGOs to ensure students get the safe pads free of charge.
The Danida project targeted to end period poverty project is being implemented in three states across the country, Lagos, Abuja and Bauchi.