The founder of Pilates Studio in Accra, Cida Ferreira, has donated over 400 sanitary pads to parents and students of Nangodi Junior High School in the Nabdam district of the Upper East Region, Ghana.
The initiative is part of her effort to bring smiles to young girls and ease the financial burden on parents.
According to Ms. Ferreira, she understands how difficult it is for girls in rural areas to afford sanitary pads. This inspired her to support them in her own way.
Addressing students and parents at Nangodi Junior High School, Ms. Ferreira mentioned that she learned about how some girls at the school stay away from classes during their menstrual periods, and decided to contribute to keeping them in school.
She explained, “I decided to focus on the children here because I heard about some young girls getting pregnant during their period. I thought, ‘How does that work?’ It doesn’t make sense. Then someone explained to me that when they can’t afford sanitary pads, they may find other ways to get them or be harassed as a result. That didn’t sit well with me. Additionally, they’re missing school — imagine missing a week of school because of your period. That holds them back, and it’s the young girls who suffer most. It’s already hard for women trying to move forward while dealing with this challenge every month. My goal is to help keep these girls in school. Even if it’s just for two months, it might make a difference. I encourage others to help as well.”
The headteacher of Nangodi Junior High School, Mr. Edward Kolbil, described how the lack of sanitary pads affected the girls’ school attendance:
“There were times when most of the girls would stay away from school during their menstrual cycle because they couldn’t afford sanitary pads. This affected their attendance. I believe this initiative is a positive one, and we welcome it. We’re praying for more. We give kudos to our sponsors, especially Pilates Studio, for making this program a success. But as Oliver Twist would say, we are asking for more. If there are other ways you can assist, we would be very grateful.”
The queen mother of the Nangodi traditional area and Upper East Regional Director of the Museum, Mrs. Prisca Naambome Yenzie, encouraged the young girls to take their studies seriously so they can contribute to the development of Nangodi. She expressed gratitude to Cida Ferreira and Pilates Studio for their generosity.
“If we have people like Cida and her company giving this kind of support, I think it’s the best we can hope for. The health of the child is key to everything. Today, being the day for the distribution of sanitary pads, I am most grateful. We know how difficult it is for parents to afford necessities like soap, so if this need goes unmet, it affects the children at school. Since Ms. Cida has come to support us, she’s done a wonderful job.”
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1Mhz | Samuel Adagom | Bolgatanga
