On Friday, May 26, 2023, the 2004 Year Group of the Holy Child Past Students Association (HOPSA) organised a Menstrual Hygiene Awareness and Donation Exercise at the Kanda Cluster of Schools, to mark the International Menstrual Hygiene Day celebrated on 28th May annually.
As part of the exercise the Group educated over 250 pupils from the three schools within the cluster i.e. Kanda 3&5, Ring Road East and Kanda AMA on this year’s theme ‘Making Menstruation a Normal Fact of Life by 2030.’
Two Health Practitioners from the HOPSA 2004 Year Group; Ms Stephana Sefa-Boateng a Public Health Practitioner and the Executive Director of Glitz Medical Centre, Accra and Dr Annabel Amina Bawa an Obstetrician at the Ridge Hospital, Accra took turns to sensitize the pupils on the importance of good menstrual hygiene, destigmatizing menstruation and the negative effects of teenage pregnancy. During the questions time, the atmosphere was charged with intelligent and exciting questions from the pupils about menstruation age, inconsistent menstruation, menstrual pains, effects of sexual intercourse etc.
Other HOPSANS present also took turns to share inspirational messages on their career journeys and encouraged the pupils to take their studies serious in order to achieve their dreams of becoming influential people in society.
The event was climaxed with the distribution of 500 pieces of sanitary pads, iron supplements, beverages and drinks worth over Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢20,000) to the pupils and teachers.
The School Improvement Support Officer (SISO) of the Kanda Cluster; Madam Antoinette Ayer-akrong overwhelmed with joy, extended her heartfelt gratitude to the HOPSA 2004 Year Group on behalf of the Director of the Ayawaso East Municipal Education Office, the Head Teachers, Teachers and Pupils for the magnanimous gesture of goodwill towards their schools.
The International Menstrual Health Celebration is a noteworthy initiative targeted at breaking taboos surrounding menstruation and raising awareness on the importance of good menstrual hygiene management worldwide.
In Ghana, a lot of underprivileged girls and women cannot afford sanitary pads since the cost of one sanitary pad is higher than the minimum wage and even more expensive than a ball of kenkey.
Some women and girls result to use rags and toilet rolls as alternatives due to the high cost of sanitary pads, which is rather worrying and can affect menstrual health adversely.
The HOPSA 2004 Year Group therefore wishes to plead with the Parliament of Ghana to critically consider calls for the removal of taxes from sanitary pads to make them more affordable, especially for the less privileged.
They would also like to encourage Corporate Ghana and individual philanthropists to include the donation of sanitary pads to girls in less privileged schools across the country in their charitable initiatives, to help boost menstrual hygiene.
Source:
HOPSA 2004 Year Group
