*Africana League takes Menstrual Hygiene Project to Abuja Communities*
*NGO takes Menstrual Hygiene outreach to Abuja Communities*
*Africana League sensitizes Abuja residents on Menstruation Hygiene*
*2000 women empowered as Africana League takes health campaign to Abuja Communities*
Renowned youth-led NGO, Africana League, has taken its #Red50 campaign to schools and communities in Abuja.
The series of high-level events started early November have so far taken place at Gishiri, Gwarinpa and Dutse districts, featuring sensitization and awareness talks, outreach and interactive sessions.
At Gishiri, women in the suburb were educated by Menstrual Hygiene Management Project Lead, Ms. Ijeoma Nzeagwu, who emphasized on the essential role of menstruation to fertility and why it was crucial to maintain a hygienic lifestyle during this time.
Her words: "Africana League seeks to build societies where every woman and girl is empowered to manage menstruation hygienically, safely, with confidence and dignity because it is a component of reproduction."
Nzeagwu pointed out that this feat can be achieved "by addressing issues of poor menstrual hygiene management, persistent myths and taboos such as period stigma, limited access to hygienic menstrual products and poor sanitation infrastructure which undermine the educational opportunities, health and overall social status of women and girls which to a large extent have deprived millions of women and girls from reaching their full potentials in Africa."
"You are responsible for your health, whatsoever you intend to achieve in life, depends on your wellbeing," she added.
Contributing, the Executive Director of the NGO, Glory Ukwenga, reiterated Africana League's unwavering commitment to supporting the promotion of hygienic lifestyles during periods for women and girls across Africa. She urged the women to "identify a sanitary pad brand" that best suites their period flow levels and frequently "change pads to avoid being over-soaked," a situation she said could be discomforting and possibly lead to contacting genital infections.
Responding on behalf of the participants, Mrs. Comfort Sunday, reserved special appreciation for Africana League for the initiative to educate local women on menstrual health, adding that knowledge gained from the engagement had positioned her to take better decisions around sensitive issues like sex during menstruation.
Another participant, Ms. Juliet, also thanked Africana League for the distribution of quality menstrual kits and sanitary pads, adding, she was better equipped to manage her menstruation with the products and knowledge from the sensitization session.
At Gwarinpa, schoolgirls were enlightened on the benefits of proper period management as adolescents. Together with their teachers, they unanimously expressed gratitude for the opportunity presented to them by Africana League to learn more about such a life-threatening subject at a young age.
In the same vein, the management of Total Child Model Secondary School, Dutse-Bwari Abuja also hailed the youth-driven NGO for its proactive steps towards educating girls at puberty on best hygiene practices to adopt during menstruation.
The women-centred engagement was highly interactive, witnessing a lively audience who actively participated in the role plays to demonstrate the correct use and disposal of menstrual products like pads, as they were also seen carrying #Red50 advocacy placards which conveyed messages like "If she bleeds she breeds!!!,Yes together we can end period stigma!!!, Leave no one behind!!!."
#Red50, an advocacy component of the Menstrual Hygiene Management Project undertaken by Africana League, seeks to promote and sensitize women on best menstrual practices and hygiene, as well as provide menstruation kits for those in hard-to-reach areas in dire need of these resources.
With a target to reach 50 million women across local communities in Africa, the #Red50 campaign outreach across several districts of the Federal Capital Territory is providing a platform for women and girls to learn about the Dos and Don'ts of menstruation, with the events culminating with the distribution of menstruation kits, sanitary pads and sensitization materials to the over 2,000 women and girls in the areas visited so far.
In most parts of Africa, menstruation is surrounded by myths and taboos. It inflicts indignity upon women and girls and violates their rights to non-discrimination, equality, bodily integrity, health, privacy and right to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment. Through campaigns like the #Red50, it is possible to change these beliefs and demystify these mysteries surrounding menstruation.
Established in 2017 with headquarters in Nigeria, Africana League is a Pan-African NGO with regional presence in 10 African countries and a scope to expand to more.
The youth-led NGO has implemented several community based projects through its campaigns like #Red50, #SITizenToACTizen and #HelpHerDream amongst others, targeting hard-to-reach persons in order to spur development from the grassroots across local communities in Africa.
