..….Urges support for girl child

The wife of the President of Nigeria and Founder of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Oluremi Tinubu, has launched the “Flow with Confidence” Menstrual Hygiene Campaign Programme in Benue State, with a call for collective action towards empowering school girls through proper menstrual hygiene management and access to sanitary products.

The programme, held at the Old Banquet Hall, Government House Makurdi, was organised under the Renewed Hope Initiative with the theme, “Empowering School Girls through Menstrual Hygiene.”

In her address, delivered by the Benue State Coordinator, Office of the First Lady and Renewed Hope Initiative State Coordinator, Scholastica Ben-Sor, Senator Oluremi Tinubu said no girl should be forced to miss school because she cannot afford sanitary pads.

The First Lady described the situation where girls resort to unsafe alternatives or stay away from school during menstruation as unacceptable, especially in rural communities, stressing that the intervention was designed to restore dignity, confidence and educational continuity for young girls across the country.

She disclosed that the Renewed Hope Initiative would distribute one-year supplies of disposable sanitary pads to 370,000 school girls in rural communities nationwide, with each state and the Federal Capital Territory receiving 10,000 packs for distribution through State First Ladies and RHI Coordinators.

According to her, the initiative is aimed at supporting girls who are unable to afford sanitary products, while also promoting proper reproductive health and hygiene.

Senator Tinubu revealed that the Renewed Hope Initiative expended over N2.5 billion in procuring the customised disposable sanitary pads from a local manufacturing company, Uniglory Nigeria Limited, Ikorodu, Lagos State, and appealed to corporate organisations, agencies and well-meaning Nigerians to support the programme.

She urged Local Government Chairmen and their wives to take ownership of the intervention and ensure that the sanitary pads reach deserving girls in rural communities, warning that the items must not be sold under any circumstance.

The First Lady also called on traditional, religious and community leaders to monitor the distribution process and support efforts aimed at helping girls grow into responsible and informed adults.

Addressing the beneficiaries, she encouraged the girls to remain focused on their education, support one another and never allow stigma associated with menstruation to diminish their confidence.
“I believe in you because you are the future of this nation,” she stated, as she formally flagged off the distribution of the “Flow with Confidence” Menstrual Hygiene Packs.

Earlier in her opening remarks, Hon. Scholastica Ben-Sor welcomed participants to the programme and described the Renewed Hope Initiative as a people-oriented intervention covering health, education, agriculture, social investment and economic empowerment

She urged the participants, especially the wives of Local Government Chairmen, to pay close attention to the message of the First Lady and ensure the intervention reaches vulnerable girls at the grassroots.

Hon. Ben-Sor explained that her office had resolved to sustain the initiative annually in Benue State by complementing the sanitary pad distribution programme to reach more beneficiaries, including girls in government secondary schools, Internally Displaced Persons camps and rehabilitation centres for children with special needs.

In her remarks, wife of the Benue State Deputy Governor, Christy Sam Ode, represented by Hon. Mrs Patience Erube, described menstruation as a natural part of womanhood that should never attract shame or stigma.

She encouraged the girls to carry themselves with dignity and confidence, while paying attention to lessons on menstrual hygiene and self-care.

Different lectures and goodwill messages from health professionals and wives of chairmen of local government areas in Benue State were received at the occasion.

The event also featured an interactive session during which the school girls asked questions and sought clarifications on issues relating to menstrual hygiene, and personal safety, with the keynote speakers providing detailed responses and guidance.