Menstrual Hygiene Day’s Pad Tour was organized by Kids & Teens Resource Centre in collaboration with YALI, The Speaking Voice, Mercy Speaks Initiatives, Sojitade Foundation, Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Ondo State branch as part of celebrations marking Menstrual Hygiene Day in 2023
The event took place on Friday, 26th May, 2023. Here the Pad Tour team reached vulnerable girls with menstrual hygiene products and contributed to ending period poverty. This was done as they visited the Ondo State Juvenile Correctional Centre, Ondo State Orphanage Home, and Ago-Ireti Facility to distribute pads and educate the girls on personal and menstrual hygiene.
The Tour started at the Ondo State Juvenile Correctional Center, after which the team moved to the Ondo State Orphanage Home and then, Ago-Ireti facility. At each of these facilities, facilitators from the different organisations enlightened the beneficiaries about menstrual hygiene. This includes the importance of using/properly disposing sanitary pads/tampons and how to maintain the body and the private part.
Here one of the speakers, Mrs. Bamigboye Folashade, the Executive Director of Kids & Teens Resource Centre highlighted the fact that as a woman, menstruation is normal and something to be proud of. In other words, “do not stigmatize yourself or let anyone stigmatize you”.
The program also included pad demonstration; showing how to properly put on a pad. The participants were given the opportunities to talk about their first menstrual experience. It also had a period drama, Q&A session, and the climax which is the distribution pads to the participants. Toiletries including Tissue Paper, Liquid soap, Izal, toothpaste, Bath Soap and Shaving sticks were given to the facilities.
Pad Tour was indeed a success. The beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the organizers for giving them sanitary pads which are now too expensive to buy. They also commended them for putting the program together. In an oversight, more than 50 girls and young women were reached with 3 pads each and menstrual hygiene education.