In order to commemorate the 2022 edition of the World Menstrual Hygiene Day celebrated under the theme; “Making Menstruation a Normal Fact of Life by 2030”, Gracious Gifters Foundation partnered with Save a Soul Foundation and Blissful Hearts Foundation to provide sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene education to some young girls and women of the Bwassa Village, a local community in Buea, Southwest Region of Cameroon.
May 28th each year is set aside to celebrate menstruation, break the silence around periods, tackle the stigma often associated with them, and raise awareness on the importance of menstrual hygiene for women and girls who menstruate around the world. It is a chance to highlight the importance of menstrual care, and raise awareness about issues faced by those who do not have access to sanitary products. It is in this light that over 50 young girls and women of the Bwassa village benefited from the educative talks on feminine hygiene given to them by the health expert on ground (Margaret Dohsen).
Headed by executive directors of these organizations, the “Gift a Pad, Gift Hygiene” project campaign was characterized by educative talks about menstruation such as hygiene during and after menstruation, calculating the menstrual cycle, some common causes of irregular menstruation amongst other topics. The young girls were educated on how to carry themselves around in a dignified manner while practicing habits that will stop the rate of teenage pregnancies in the community.
Parents on their end were encouraged to ensure that they from time to time provide parental advice to their children (girls), make them their best friends so that they can be free to approach them in case of any difficulty.
The campaign ended with an interactive question and answer session and over 50 sanitary pads shared to the girls and women. However, it was observed that the inhabitants of Bwassa village needs more orientation on feminine hygiene and most importantly, portable water which is a very important aspect in menstrual hygiene.
