Group offers free sanitary pads, medical tests to over 1,000 Anambra residents
By Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Creative Minds Centre for Youths and Community Development (CMCY-CD), a nongovernmental organization, have distributed free sanitary pads to girls and women in Ndiowu Community, Orumba North Local Government Area.
The group also offered free medical tests to children, teenagers, youths and elderly including tests on high blood pressure, blood sugar, HIV, Tuberculosis among othes, during the programme that took place at the Town Hall, Ndiowu Community.
Speaking during the exercise, Executive Director of CMCY-CD, Mrs Ugochi Freeman, said the event is an annual program used to commemorate both World Hygiene day and the children’s day. She said the event is specifically targeted at the poor and vulnerable girl-child in the society, who cannot afford pads for safe menstruation
She said, “The intervention is for Menstrual Hygiene Day celebrated annually, every 28th May. Initially we used to go to schools to commemorate the day but for this year, we decided to visit a community because we believed there are a lot of vulnerable women and girl-children that are poor and cannot afford pads for safe menstruation. We came so that we can talk to school children, mothers and the community at large.
“We employed an integrated approach, starting with sensitization on hygiene, health checks/tests, and talked to them about nutrients. We brought them the message of value reorientation to dissuade them from engaging in cultism, drug abuse and gender-based violence among other vices and so that parents would see the importance of effectively correcting their wards.”
Freeman said the intervention was carried out by her organization in collaboration with the Ndiowu Town Union and other partner organisations, including the Anambra State Ministry of Health, Agency for the Control of AIDS (ASCADA) and other NGOs.
“We also carried out the exercise in collaboration with NGOs like Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative, Achieving Healthcare Nigeria Initiative (AHNi), Knowledge Network for Disease Control and Vigilance (KNCV), COMAREG Health Care foundation, and Integrated Rights Protection of Individuals Initiative (INTRIPID). Others are Legal Aid coordinating committee (LACC), Safenest against Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, Care trust Development Initiative, Association for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria, and Falconscare Initiative for Women with Disabilities and Empowerment (FIWDE).”
The ED said no fewer than 500 girls and women benefited from the free pad distribution, and that more than 600 benefited from medical tests and health checks carried out at the event. She explained that Ndiowu was chosen to reach underserved communities, with more hard-to-reach areas planned next. She urged the community to take ownership of the intervention and replicate it for the welfare of their people.
She commended the community leadership and the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption programme for inspiring their integrated grassroots approach. She noted that the programme was made possible by the creativity, dedication, and fundraising support of Dr. Obiorah Nwankwor, Sunoch Logistics, and other friends of the organisation, and expressed deep gratitude. She invited well-meaning individuals and organisations to partner on future outreaches including donation of buses to expand their impact.
Barr Nkolika Ebede, Coordinator of Legal Aid Committee Anambra State hinted that her organisation’s interest in the programme was to promote good governance and letting the younger ones know their rights and ensuring accountability in leadership.
“We worked in collaboration with Creative Minds providing the legal aspect of the programme. We sensitized them on how to approach justice and issued them addresses of where, when and how to get justice,” she said.
During a lecture on Menstrual Hygiene and healthy living, Dr Rose Amasiani, urged residents to observe good personal hygiene by brushing their teeth regularly, washing their hands, wearing clean underwear, and taking other precautions to stay safe and free from infections and diseases.
She also recommended healthy habits such as drinking water first thing in the morning and exercising regularly. She further cautioned them against excessive consumption of spices and junk food, and urged them to abstain from alcohol and other unhealthy substances that can endanger their health.
Speaking to journalists, the community’s woman leader, Mrs Oby Okoli, described the intervention as timely and urged residents to put the knowledge they had gained into practice to enjoy healthy lives.
“It is good, and it is what we hope will be done from time to time. Our community members, young and old, benefited from it, and we are grateful to the group that came,” she said.
Nwakamma Ifeanyi, Second Vice-President General of Ndiowu Town Union, said the intervention had brought relief to many people and families in the community who could not afford sanitary pads for their upkeep. He thanked the donors for selecting Ndiowu for the outreach. He, however, assured that the community would build on the intervention to ensure it was sustained and carried out regularly.
