Girls Shall Grow, a non-governmental organisation based in Obuasi, has successfully launched their Menstrual Hygiene Management Campaign dubbed RED MEANS KEEP GOING. The launch took place at Mampamhwe, a suburb of Obuasi East District. Nana Frimpong Boamah, the chief of Mampanhwe, and his community leaders including the Assembly member of the community, Aboagye Tanko were there to grace the occasion. A representative from the Ministry of Health, Obuasi East, was also present.
The Executive Director of Girls Shall Grow in her speech revealed that menstruation shouldn’t prevent any girl or woman from going to school or farm or work. Many girls stay away from school during their menstrual period since they can’t afford sanitary pads.
“We all know that in a traffic light, Red means Stop but in women, that ‘red part of the month’ shouldn’t bring a halt to your activities or education. We want you to keep going when you are ‘red’. So we are here to help you to be able to make your own reusable sanitary pads which can be used for at least a year depending on the material you intend to use. You can wash it and use it again the following month” she said.
An initial education on Menstrual Health Management was done by Stella Obeng, a nurse in the Obuasi East District before a team from Child Online Africa’s Menstrual Hygiene Project took the participants through the making of reusable sanitary pads.
Speaking after the training, Nana Frimpong Boamah said the training was relevant because most of the young girls in the community could not afford disposable sanitary pads every month. She thanked the organisation for the gesture and asked that they come back again and empower the girls and women in other areas they deem relevant.
Over 200 girls and young ladies attended the program including older women.
