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By Bukola Olajide
Ten thousand schoolgirls in rural communities of Kwara State have benefited from a one-year supply of disposable sanitary pads.
Speaking at the presentation of the sanitary pads under the “Flow With Confidence Initiative” to students of secondary schools from across the sixteen Local Government Areas of the state, held at Government House, Ilorin, the Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the initiative was being launched simultaneously in Borno, Cross River, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi, Lagos, and Kwara States.
Represented by the Wife of the Kwara State Governor, Professor Olufolake Abdulrazaq, Senator Tinubu explained that the vital menstrual health intervention was designed to empower schoolgirls by promoting knowledge, dignity, and confidence through improved menstrual hygiene.
The First Lady stated that it is crucial for local government chairmen to take ownership of the intervention, scale it up, and ensure that the supplies reach deserving girls in rural communities without being diverted or sold.
She also called on corporate organizations, parastatals, agencies, and well-meaning Nigerians to key into the Flow With Confidence programme to empower and reach as many girls as possible.
Senator Tinubu urged traditional, religious, and community leaders to support and monitor the distribution exercise in their communities to ensure that girls grow into responsible and informed adults.
She further enjoined the students to imbibe the ideals of sound menstrual hygiene and make judicious use of the items provided.
In her remarks, the State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hajia Sa’adat Modibbo-Kawu, said many schoolgirls resort to unsafe and unhygienic alternatives during their menstrual periods, while others stay at home, fall behind in their studies, and, in some cases, eventually drop out of school.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the gesture, noting that the initiative would bring great relief to them and encourage better school attendance.
