West Mamprusi: Meta Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, has supported some basic level schoolgirls in the West Mamprusi Municipality, in the North East Region, with sanitary pads. At least 95 schoolgirls from Arigu Junior High School and Naminyela Junior High School received the sanitary products, supported by MC De Konz Enterprise in Bolgatanga.
According to Ghana News Agency, the gesture was part of a voluntary service project called the 'Community Health Promotion (CHeP) project,' aimed at promoting good menstrual hygiene management among adolescents. This pilot project, implemented in collaboration with STAR Ghana across five communities in the West Mamprusi Municipality-namely Arigu, Bisigu, Gbeo, Naminyela, and Karimenga-used a community-based volunteers' model to improve child nutrition. The initiative also aimed to reduce the spread of diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea and positively influence the health-seeking behaviour of approximately 1,000 women and girls of reproductive age.
Ms Doris Awelimah Anyagre, the Programme Associate and Lead for the CHeP project, noted that besides the donation, students were educated on producing reusable sanitary pads, as well as menstrual hygiene and reproductive health practices. The initiative was part of efforts to support girls to stay in school, live dignified lives, combat stigmatisation, and ensure gender equality. Community members, including teachers and health workers, were trained as volunteers to conduct community sensitisation and outreach programs to promote good sanitation practices and nutrition for children.
The project encouraged exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months after childbirth and complementary feeding to enhance children's growth and development. Volunteers also led initiatives to promote the establishment and use of household toilets, contributing to the reduction of open defecation. The project aimed to foster positive behavioural changes in health care access within the communities, with volunteers leading weekly cleanup campaigns, particularly around water bodies like the White Volta, and encouraging tree planting.
Volunteers expressed gratitude to Meta Foundation and its partners, noting that the project was driving behavioural changes in the communities and improving access to health care. Ms Prisicilla Kwada, a beneficiary from Naminyela Junior High School, thanked Meta Foundation and its sponsors for the sanitary pads, highlighting their importance in maintaining good menstrual hygiene. Ms Patricia Akurugu, another beneficiary from Arigu JHS, expressed relief that the donation alleviated the financial burden of purchasing sanitary pads.