The First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun has commenced the distribution of 10,000 free sanitary pads to school girls as part of the Renewed Hope Initiative programme of the Wife of the President, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu.
The distribution which took place at June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, marked the national launch of the “Flow With Confidence” campaign, themed “Empowering School Girls Through Menstrual Health.”
Mrs. Abiodun explained that the initiative aimed to promote menstrual hygiene, dignity and confidence among school girls across the country, stressing that no girl should lose focus or miss school due to her inability to afford sanitary products.
“Some girls resort to using unsafe and unhygienic alternatives, while others stay at home, fall behind in their studies and sometimes drop out altogether. This trend must end and this intervention under the education framework of the Renewed Hope Initiatives (RHI) is aimed at doing just that,” she said.
She further explained that under the RHI programme, over 10,000 packs of disposable sanitary pads for distribution to 10,000 deserving girls in rural communities across Ogun State, with a total of 370,000 had been distributed to school girls in rural communities across the country.
‘’Giving each beneficiary a one-year supply of pads to offer a simple, hygienic option that supports women’s reproductive health, I urged beneficiaries not to sell the pads but to stay in school, study hard, support one another and never allow shame or stigma to take away their confidence,” she added.
She appealed to traditional, religious and community leaders to assist in monitoring the distribution process as well as guide girls to grow into responsible and informed adults.
Speaking at the event, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, commended Senator Tinubu for her various empowerment initiatives under the Renewed Hope Initiatives, covering agriculture, education and women’s empowerment, while appreciating Mrs. Abiodun for ensuring Ogun residents benefit from Federal programmes.
Also speaking, former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaja Salmot Badru, lauded Senator Tinubu and Mrs. Abiodun for their unflinching support at ensuring that dividends of democracy reached all citizens
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, a student of Gateway Secondary School, Ita Iyalode, Abeokuta, Praise Omonipo and another student from Yewa College, Yewa South, Oluwapelumi Okewole, appreciated the First Lady and the Ogun State Government for the donation, saying the supply would relieve their parents of the monthly financial burden of buying sanitary pads.
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