JDPC Partners Education Office for Sensitization in Schools

World Menstrual Day is an annual awareness day to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management. In low-income countries as Nigeria, girls’ and women’s choices of menstrual hygiene materials are often limited by the costs, availability and social norms. Adequate sanitation facilities and access to feminine hygiene products are one part of the solution. Creating a culture that welcomes discussion and makes adequate education for women and girls is of equal importance. Research has found that not having access to menstrual hygiene management products can keep girls home from school during their period each month.

JDPC in partnership with Education Office, Archdiocese of Onitsha used this day to organize sensitization programme on importance of maintaining good hygiene during menstruation and sex education in secondary schools. The conscientization programme targeted junior secondary school students. A total of 4 schools (QRC Onitsha, Regina Pacis Onitsha, Mercy Girls’ and Mater Amabilis both in Umuoji) were visited with a population of 3,200 direct target beneficiaries. The 9 facilitators that visited these schools in group of 2 comprised JDPC Team and the Morality Rescue Team contracted by the Onitsha Archdiocesan Education Office.

In each of the 4 schools visited, 100 Sanitary Pads were distributed to 100 students, totally 400 pads to all the schools. The sensitization team learnt that a good number of students need this kind of sensitization and teenage girls are keen to learn sex education.