By Victor Nwachukwu
The African Immigrants Resources Centre, a United States based non profit Non Governmental Organisation, has distributed free sanitary pads worth over N5m to 1000 girls and 300 young women in Imo.
The Organization on Friday as part of its programme called Give A Girl A Pad (GAGAP) Initiative, distributed the pads to girls and women of Umuebe Eziala and Ubaa communities, both in Emii town, Owerri North council area of Imo.
Other items distributed were deodorants, educational book.
Speaking at the end of the two day distribution exercise, the Convener of the Centre, Mrs Chimezie Oji-Kalu said that the gesture was borne out of a need for girl child support and hygiene education in rural communities.
Oji-Kalu said that the centre keenly observed that rural girls and women were susceptible to infections as a result of poor menstrual hygiene and lack of knowledge, hence the intervention.
“ Apart from housing homeless African immigrants in the US and Nigeria, we also provide hygiene education and sanitary pads for teenage girls and sometimes vulnerable young women.
“ We actually came to distribute the pads to the girls but because it is a rural area, we found out that many women around can neither afford the pads nor do they know how to use it, so we’re extending the pads and hygiene education to them all
“ Our call lines are available and can be accessed through our website www.airc6674.org for any one that want to reach us for partnership to support teenage girls, and vulnerable ones maintain their hygiene,”she said.
She thanked the Centre’s volunteers for taking the GAGAP message to Abuja, Abia, Port Harcourt, Imo, Lagos, Nasarawa and Niger states and called on governments at all levels as well as good spirited Nigerians to support the initiative.
Similarly, the GAGAP Coordinator in Abuja, Mrs Rita Ebuta, said that the Centre’s interventions have equipped teenage girls with knowledge of proper hygiene measures and sex education, thus contributing to their psyche development.
Also speaking, Mr Samuel Okoro, a GAGAP ambassador, while commending the initiative, urged government to take child care and child rights education to rural communities so as to enlighten rural dwellers on healthy practices.
Miss Favour Chinedu, another GAGAP ambassador, called on government to prioritise advocacy for girl child education and support despite growing economic challenges.
Mrs Chioma Nwachukwu, another GAGAP ambassador, described Oji-Kalu as “a woman with a golden heart” and prayed divine protection and blessings to enable her continue her humanitarian activities.
The GAGAP Coordinator in Imo, Mrs Ogochukwu Eziaku, advised beneficiaries of the program to put the pads to their best use while applying the hygiene lessons taught by the centre.
A community social worker and GAGAP ambassador, Mr Boniface Nwadike, said that monthly menstruation diminishes self confidence among girls who might not be able to afford sanitary pads , hence the intervention.
Miss Rita Nwoke,One of the beneficiaries who spoke on behalf the girls, thanked the organisation for thinking toward the community and pledged to apply the lessons taught.