Youth Summit Port Harcourt, a youth organisation, in collaboration with Secondary School students, is advocating for affordable and subsidised prices on sanitary pads in Nigeria. They are calling on government officials to prioritise the health and hygiene of young girls, who are facing challenges with self-esteem and financial constraints in the country. Grant Bestman, Convener of Youth Summit Port Harcourt, highlighted the increasing expense of sanitary pads during a distribution event at Community Secondary School Umuede-Mbah in Etche Council area, Rivers State.
He emphasised that even though these items may seem trivial to some, many young women struggle to afford them due to their high cost. In Etche, they are currently in the second stage of the “Pad A Project”, distributing more than 500 packs of sanitary pads to secondary school girls in need. Bestman emphasised the importance of promoting sanitary hygiene among these girls through this initiative, aiming to encourage their well-being and confidence. Their goal is to support the girls in this high school by providing them with as many sanitary pads as possible to promote their hygiene.
Society’s health is directly linked to its female population’s well-being.
This initiative was created by the Youth Summit with the aim of emphasising the importance of hygiene among girls. The health of a society is directly linked to the well-being of its female population. The increase in the price of pads has posed a challenge for many girls in affording them, leading to the initiation of this project. The Economy has not been conducive to women’s ability to access these essential products. Despite its seemingly trivial nature, the cost is significant.
On the other hand, he urged the government to prioritise the affordability and accessibility of them for young girls and women. Also, Ibekwe Gold and Samuel Jennifer, along with other recipients, were grateful to the youth group for their generous donation, acknowledging that it would greatly ease the financial struggles faced by their families. Gold expressed gratitude for the gift given by others, stating that it is appreciated and loved. Jennifer also expressed thanks for the gift, mentioning the high cost of pads in the country and how grateful she is for the generosity of others.
Pad prices should be reduced to alleviate the financial burden on parents.
Her hope is for the government to lower the cost of sanitary pads, as they are currently quite expensive. Not all pads are priced at seven hundred Naira; some are sold for eight hundred, nine hundred, or even one thousand Naira. She urges the government to make pads more affordable, ideally reducing the price to five hundred Naira. This will alleviate the financial burden on their parents.
Speaking further on her part, Samuel Jennifer, one of the recipients from a community secondary school Umuede-Mbah, When asked about the possibility of the government providing free sanitary pads; she expressed gratitude for the gift she received and mentioned that it would be a welcome relief. She believes that the government should take responsibility for such provisions as it has become increasingly difficult for individuals to access free essentials due to the current state of the country.
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Mr. Kelvin Elebon, the School principal, expressed his appreciation for the group’s generosity. He stated that this act is truly meaningful and a great relief for the girls in their school. By providing them with these gifts, they have not only educated them but also empowered them to take care of themselves. He is truly grateful, and he strongly urges that whenever such opportunities arise, it would greatly benefit students to understand the importance of maintaining cleanliness and personal hygiene. He sincerely appreciates the efforts put into organising this program with the well-being of children in mind.