The Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), a non-profit making organisation, has presented 24 boxes of sanitary pads and two boxes of Dettol to the Volta School for the Deaf and Blind in Hohoe.
The gesture is to address issues of absenteeism among adolescent girls while they are on their menstrual period due to lack of sanitary pads.
Mr Eric Sapey Jnr, Project lead, noted that the donation would go a long way to support the beneficiaries to actively participate in learning during their menstrual periods.
He said the donation was part of a project on Comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) whose aim is to improve access to SRH information and services for Deaf people in Ghana with financial support from AmplifyChange.
Mr Sapey said the core objectives of the project were to increase access to comprehensive SRH information and service for hearing-impaired women and girls in three regions, enhance knowledge of 1,000 adolescent girls with the ability to manage their menses in a dignifying manner.
He noted that as the Project with its partners is coming to an end, it was important that stakeholders such as Social Welfare Departments, devised means to ensure its sustainability in curbing absenteeism among the adolescent girls while on their menstrual periods.
Madam Kushigbor Ophelia, Headmistress, Volta School for the Deaf and Blind, expressed gratitude to the GNAD for its kind gestures.
She said since the presentation of similar support to the school in 2022 by GNAD, there had been a major improvement in the adolescent girl’s participation in learning in terms of menstrual periods.
Madam Kushigbor said most parents were unable to provide sanitary pads for their wards and the supply by GNAD came was appropriate.
She appealed to individuals and organisations to help support the girls.
Mrs Janet Valerie Datsa Agbotse, Hohoe Municipal Director of Education, described the support as the “hope for the future of our girls” and noted that the support would go a long way to help parents who could not provide pads for their wards.
Mrs Agbotse said there was the need for collaboration with other individuals and stakeholders to ensure continuous support through the supply of sanitary pads for the adolescent girls in the schools.
Mr Henry Yanpalleh, Hohoe Municipal Social Welfare Officer, commended GNAD and AmplifyChange for supporting the adolescent girls with sanitary pads to stay in school.
He said the Department was also working hard to support the students and the school in ensuring that students received holistic education, one of which was the supply and availability of sanitary pads.
Mr Raymond Agbadi, Volta Regional President, GNAD, said the project had positively affected the education of adolescent girls in beneficiary schools.
Source: Ghana News Agency