3 Kufuor Scholars and Alumni of CGIU 18’ move from commitment to Action

Menarche Initiative Ghana, on Friday 15th March 2019 illuminated mindsets of over hundred and twenty (120) pupils of the Uncle Rich Preparatory and Junior High School, Winneba in the Effutu Municipality of the Central Region of Ghana through a Health Talk on Menstrual Hygiene Management. The theme for the Health talk was "Good Menstrual Hygiene: Beyond Sanitation Issues."

Menarche Initiative Ghana (Menarche-I) is a registered non-profit social venture working to ensure good menstrual hygiene among girls and also to sensitize Ghanaians on menstruation and its management and equip adolescent girls in rural areas in Ghana with the right and accurate information on menstrual hygiene management. Menarche- I will also train peer counsellors in beneficiary schools to address absenteeism and subsequent school drop-out which is associated with poor menstrual hygiene management among girls.

Dr. Adwoa Nyakoa Ahenkorah, a medical practitioner and a Young African Leadership Initiative Cohort 13 fellow offering Civic Leadership, had a conversation with the pupils of Uncle Rich Junior High School on the following thematic areas;

Cycle of menstruation
Ways of ensuring good hygiene during periods
Abnormal experiences and variations in girls during their periods.

Dr. Adwoa Ahenkorah delved deeper into these topics and demystified the myths surrounding menstruation.

Felicity Yeboah Dokyi, the Project Coordinator of Menarche Initiative Ghana spoke on Menstrual Hygiene management and also practically demonstrated on how to properly use a disposable sanitary pad during your period as an adolescent girl. Felicity Yeboah Dokyi shared her experiences as an adolescent girl when she first had her menstruation and how she was able to manage it hygienically.

Edem Kojo Doe, the Executive Secretary of Menarche Initiative Ghana and a Gender Activist, emphasized the fact that the role of males in championing the issues of adolescent girls is very critical. He encouraged the boys who took part in the Health talk on Menstrual Hygiene management to take it seriously because they will grow up to become fathers and as fathers, they may have daughters, hence it will be easier to educate their daughters in future on Menstrual Hygiene management.

Norbert Kwame Agbemenu, the Executive Director of Menarche Initiative Ghana, took the pupils through various fun and learning activities to engage the participants to enjoy the health education on Menstrual Hygiene management.

The pupils took turns to ask critical questions to help them gain insights on the various topics discussed on Menstrual Hygiene management.

In his closing remarks, Mr Peter Akunor-Sackey, the Headmaster of Uncle Rich Junior High School, Winneba was very grateful to the Menarche Initiative Ghana for choosing their school to educate their students. He called for more of such educative programmes because he believes that the program has made an impact on the lives of his pupils.

At the end of the health education on Menstrual Hygiene management, over one hundred sanitary pads were distributed to the adolescent girls who have started menstruation

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