Thinkaid Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, together with the Berekum East Municipal Girls Education Unit, in the Bono region of Ghana, has celebrated the 2023 World Menstrual Hygiene Day with the teenage girls of the Berekum Catholic cluster of schools.

The celebration drew 500 teenage girls from the St. Johns R/C Basic School, St. Augustines R/C Basic School, Baidan R/C Basic School, Methodist B and C Basic School, Akatim Basic School, parents, teachers as well as the Berekum Municipal Education Directorate.  Representatives of the Berekum traditional council were also present to grace the occasion.

As part of the occasion, Thinkaid Foundation distributed over 500 sanitary pads to the girls freely to enable them to adopt the use of the pads whenever they have their menstruation.

Speaking under the theme, "We are Committed, the Municipal Education Director, Mrs Beatrice Mamle Nkum said, World Menstrual Hygiene Day which was due to be celebrated on the 28th of May has been honoured to create awareness among teenage girls on menstrual hygiene whenever they have their menstruation and to fight perception on menstruation. She has also expressed her disappointment in some parents over their failure to attend the event. She urged the parents to try their best to supply their girl child with sanitary pads during their menstrual period.

According to her, if the right sanitary pads are not used during their menstrual period, the girls will be affected in the future hence it is the responsibility of the parents to always, as a matter of urgency, provide pads to their girl child to avoid contracting any other challenges associated with menstrual issues. 

The municipal director of education also advised the girls to abstain from early sex and be hygienic. She further advised them to wait for the appropriate time in their lives and to achieve their dreams instead of indulging in premarital sex.

She extended her gratitude together with the Girls Unit of the Education Unit to Thinkaid Foundation for their support to deliver free sanitary pads to the girls to celebrate with them on World Menstrual Hygiene Day.

The Gyasehemaa of Berekum Atonotia, Nana Adwoa Serwaa Ayiwa Konama II, also thanked Thinkaid Foundation for their donations to the girls to celebrate with them on the 2023 World Menstrual Hygiene Day but also called on all to emulate the steps of Thinkaid Foundation.

She said, as a queen mother and parent, she advised parents to take it upon themselves as much they can to always ensure that their adolescent girls are being provided with essentials especially sanitary pads during their menstrual period cycles.

The Public Relations Officer of Thinkaid Foundation Ghana, Nana Akua Agyiewaa, who spoke on behalf of Mr Henry Kofi Adane, the CEO of the ThinkAid, also emphasised that the foundation is ever poised to support the girls on a day like menstrual hygiene day and this will not be the last time they will extend their support to the educational sector in Berekum. According to the PRO of the Thinkaid organisation, they have been doing a lot for over the last few years.

She added that, through the cordial relationship between Thinkaid Foundation and the Municipal Girl Child Coordinator, Mrs Augusta Amponsah’s request to support them to celebrate World Menstrual Hygiene Day was accepted. ThinkAid Foundation took it upon itself to sponsor the event.

She added that it is one of the Thinkaid Foundation's priorities to ensure that the girls will make good use of the sanitary pads to secure personal hygiene as girls in their menstrual period.

Nana Akua also took the opportunity to demonstrate to the girls how sanitary pads are being used during their menstrual cycle periods. She again advised the girls to be clean especially when they are in their menstrual period.

Mrs Augusta Amponsah, the coordinator of the Berekum Municipal Girl Child Unit also explain that menstrual hygiene management is a challenge faced by many girls and women.

She also commended Thinkaid Foundation, especially, the CEO -Henry Kofi Adane( Borga1), for being part of the 2023 Municipal World Menstrual Hygiene Day with the project of tackling the problems faced by women and girls around Berekum, by providing them free sanitary pads and she believes this will solve some of the challenges facing the school girls in Berekum area. She finally called on teachers and parents to ensure their girls are relieved of the challenges they encounter during menstruation.

Thinkaid Foundation together with the Girl Child Unit refreshed the girls who attended the celebration with non-alcohol beverages and biscuits.