NGO donates sanitary pads to schoolgirls in Lambussie

The Visionary Norman Foundation, a non-government organisation, has distributed some sanitary pads to schoolgirls in four Junior High Schools in the Lambussie District of the Upper West Region.

The intervention is to help teenage girls maintain good personal hygiene and to encourage them to stay in school during their menstrual cycle.

The beneficiaries were school girls from Samoa JHS, Suke JHS, Dindee JHS and Chum Sakafia JHS.

The Foundation, in collaboration with the Lambussie District Health Directorate also organised a free health screening exercise for inhabitants of Suke community to help test and check their Blood Pressure (BP), Hepatitis B, Pregnancy, Malaria, Sexually Transmitted Infections, among others.

Dr Abena Yeboah, Director for Visionary Norman Foundation speaking at a durbar with some traditional leaders and other stakeholders in Suke, a community in the Lambussie district said records from the Lambussie District Health Directorate showed that there was a very high incidence of teenage pregnancy among the teenage girls.

This development, according to her, was a public health concern to the Visionary Norman Foundation hence the decision to support the schoolgirls with education and sensitization on their reproductive health and with the provision of some sanitary pads.

She said the cost and tariffs on sanitary pads in the country were high, which makes it difficult for teenagers, especially those in rural communities to buy them.

She indicated that the foundation was giving sanitary pads to the schoolgirls to safeguard and allow them to be in school.

Dr Sussie Anku, the Reproductive Health Counselor for Visionary Norman Foundation said the free medical screening was to help counsel individuals who were likely to be diagnosed with various conditions and to refer them to health facilities for further medical care.

She said poverty, early marriage, elopement among others were identified as the root causes of teenage pregnancies in the rural communities.

She called for a collective effort between parents, traditional leaders and stakeholders to help encourage and support girl child education as well as guide and counsel them from engaging in sexual activities that may lead to teenage pregnancy and its challenges.

Mr Bin-Erana Jerdu Nuhu, the Acting Lambussie District Health Director said, “Out of all antenatal care (ANC) registrants recorded at the various health facilities in the district for the year 2022, 647 teenage pregnancies were recorded representing 10.9 per cent of the total ANC attendance.”

He added that most of the pregnant girls were married teenagers and of school-going ages.

He said the support by the Visionary Norman Foundation to the schoolgirls in the district would help the girls make informed decisions on their reproductive health, adding that it would help complement the district health Directorate efforts in educating and sensitizing the youth in the district against teenage pregnancies.

Mr Delle Anthony, a representative of the Lambussie District Education Directorate commended the Visionary Norman Foundation for the intervention and appealed for more support from benevolent agencies to help improve on the menstrual hygiene of schoolgirls in the Lambussie District.

The Visionary Norman Foundation is a registered non-profit organisation committed to empowering individuals and communities by providing support, resources, and opportunities.

Their vision is to create a society where everyone has equal access to essential needs, education, healthcare, and opportunities for growth resonated with the attendees, encapsulating their mission to empower youth and transform communities.