Self love Foundation educates girls on menstrual hygiene and teenage pregnancy

Obuasi-based all feminine NGO, Self Love Foundation in collaboration with CouldYou?, a US-based NGO are promoting healthy and safe menstruation among girls in Obuasi.

At an event at Mensahkrom, a suburb in the Obuasi Municipality to commemorate World Menstrual Hygiene Day, the Monitoring and Evaluation specialist at Could You?, Kofi Kyeremanteng Nyanteng said the menstrual cup is proving to be the best, sustainable, and healthy way in addressing the menstrual needs of girls and women.

Menstrual Hygiene Day instituted in 2014 is an annual awareness day marked on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) at a global level.

"Aside it being healthy and hygienic, it is the best solution in ending period poverty,' Mr Kyeremanteng Nyanteng added.

Speaking to the media at the sidelines of the program, the President of Self Love Foundation, Hillary Ekuoba Gyasi said as part of promoting menstrual hygiene day management of the foundation is organizing series of programs to bring various school children within their menstrual ages together to educate them on menstrual hygiene.

She said "we have already visited some Senior High Schools in Obuasi to educate them on the need to observe menstrual hygiene. Today, we are educating girls from the Junior High schools. It is our expectation that this exercise will be ongoing till we make a significant impact".

Miss Sally Osei Tieku, a midwife at AGA Health Foundation sensitized the girls on how to maintain the best hygiene during and after menstruation through proper personal hygiene and the use of the menstrual cup.

She posited that the situation is a major concern hence the intervention from Self Love Foundation to educate and mentor the girls on menstrual hygiene and teenage pregnancy.

She cautioned the girls on the negative effects of teenage pregnancy and advised them to take their studies seriously.

The students expressed their appreciation to Self Love Foundation and Could You team for coming to their aid and supporting them during menstruation and giving them the best solution to their menstrual challenges.

Mrs Hannah Mensah, a legal practitioner with Self Love Foundation said the organisation is committed to lead rape victims to report rape cases for onward prosecution.

She mentioned that the presence of Legal aid in Obuasi is welcoming hence appealed to women to take full advantage of their services.

Schools present were Awurade Basa of Obuasi Complex, Enefel, Anyinam Methodist School, Stadium Presbyterian and St. Thomas Catholic School.