Tag: menstrual health

Deborah’s Impact Projects Africa (DIPA) has intensified its campaign for menstrual health equity with the distribution of free sanitary pads and hygiene education to over 1,000 adolescent girls across Lagos State.

The initiative, known as the Pad-A-Girl Drive, took place at Gbara Community Senior High School, Jakande, Eti-Osa, and Onike Junior High School, Iwaya, Yaba, providing menstrual products and education to students who often miss school due to lack of access to sanitary pads.

Speaking during the outreach, Programme’s Director at DIPA, Diezani Ototo-Onuorah, said the organisation is committed to addressing barriers that hinder girls’ education and well-being.

She explained that the initiative comes at a time when rising inflation has made essential hygiene products unaffordable for many families, leaving thousands of girls vulnerable to school absenteeism, low self-esteem, and social stigma.

She said: “As an organisation, we have seen first-hand how something as natural as menstruation can become a barrier that derails a girl’s destiny. That is why DIPA is fully taking responsibility, not just partnering, not just supporting, but leading this movement for menstrual dignity across communities.”

She added that the project represents the organisation’s broader goal of helping young girls gain confidence and knowledge to thrive in school and society.

“This week’s outreach is only the beginning. We are scaling, we are returning and we are expanding, because our girls deserve consistency, not occasional interventions. The future of Africa is tied to the opportunities we give our girls right now, and DIPA is determined to keep opening those doors,” she added.

At Gbara Community Senior High School, the Principal, Mrs. Oyewole Abosede, commended the initiative for its direct impact on students.

“This initiative has restored dignity to many of our girls who have struggled quietly for months and years. By placing sanitary pads in their hands and knowledge in their hearts, you have empowered them to walk tall every day of the month,” she said.

Read Also: Foundation launches ‘Pad-A-Girl’ campaign to promote menstrual hygiene in Abuja

Similarly, the Principal of Onike Junior High School, Dr. (Mrs.) Patience Yetunde Akingbade, noted that the intervention came at a crucial time for families struggling with basic hygiene needs.

“What DIPA has done today goes beyond distributing pads; it has restored confidence, dignity, and focus to our girls. You have touched lives in a way that words cannot fully express,”

The outreach sessions included talks on menstrual hygiene, puberty awareness, and confidence building, alongside interactive discussions aimed at dispelling myths around menstruation.

DIPA said the Pad-A-Girl Drive is part of its broader commitment to empowering women and girls through education, health awareness, and economic inclusion. The initiative also aligns with similar drives in Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Botswana, and South Africa.

Since its inception, the organisation said it has reached more than 10,000 women and girls across Africa through projects such as The Joseph’s Project (food security), Financial Literacy Programme (economic empowerment), and the School Adoption Programme (education support).

DIPA stated that it plans to expand the Pad-A-Girl Drive to more underserved communities across Lagos and other African countries to ensure that girls can pursue their education with dignity and confidence.

Lack of menstrual health education and hygiene is silently affecting thousands of Nigerian girls, with medical experts warning that the impact extends far beyond stained uniforms and missed school days.

To address the growing concern, Cerba Lancet Nigeria, a multinational clinical pathology organisation, has launched a sustained Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative focused on equipping schoolgirls with vital menstrual and reproductive health education.

During an outreach held Thursday at Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ojo, Lagos, which drew no fewer than 7,000 secondary schoolgirls, the Medical Director and Senior Pathologist of Cerba Lancet Nigeria, Dr Fred Obiajolu, said the programme aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 3, which promotes good health and well-being, particularly for young girls.

 “Any society that suppresses the girl child never progresses,” Dr. Obiajolu said. “When a girl is healthy, the entire society benefits.”

He explained that the project, now in its eighth year, is anchored on the belief that menstrual health is not just a hygiene issue but a developmental and societal one. 

“We teach them not just about menstruation, but about their entire reproductive health. A girl who understands her body grows into a confident and healthy woman,” he added.

The initiative, which has impacted thousands of girls since inception, aims to demystify menstruation, build self-esteem, and reduce stigma around menstrual health, barriers that often prevent girls from attending school or speaking up when they face reproductive health issues.

“This is our way of giving back. It’s not just a programme, it’s a lifeline,” Dr. Obiajolu concluded.

According to Head of Business Development at Cerba Lancet Nigeria, Mr Temitope Ambrose, the outreach forms part of a broader strategy by the company to ensure that no girl is left behind, regardless of location.

“We don’t limit ourselves to urban areas. We reach into rural communities too. Sometimes we run the programme once a year, sometimes twice, it all depends on the needs we identify in the communities,” Ambrose said.

Commandant of the school, Navy Captain Yakubu Haruna, described the outreach as “educative and necessary”, noting that it addressed hygiene, menstrual care, and safe practices.

“This initiative answers questions our students have long needed clarity on, especially about managing their periods and understanding their bodies,” he said.

He added that the school plans to build on the lessons through further sensitisation, debates, and peer education, particularly discouraging early sexual activity and promoting healthy menstrual practices.

The School Matron, Mrs. Janet Musa, has described the menstrual health outreach as a “much-needed and life-shaping” intervention for adolescent girls.

She noted that the workshop provided critical knowledge about menstrual cycles, hygiene, and common concerns like irregular periods or colour changes, helping to ease fear among first-timers.

“The girls now understand their bodies better and know when not to panic. That knowledge is powerful,” she said.

Mrs. Musa added that the school will sustain the impact through regular talks in hostels and assemblies to reinforce menstrual hygiene education.