Oriental Energy donates 1,000 sanitary pads in A/Ibom schools

An oil firm, the Oriental Energy Resources, has donated 1,000 bags of sanitary pads to girls in two secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State.

The benefiting schools, Ibesikpo Secondary Commercial school, Ibesikpo Asutan and Amayam Community Secondary school, Ikot Ekpene council areas received 650 and 350 bags respectively.

Track News Nigeria learnt that the benevolent gesture is aimed at enabling sensitisation on menstrual cleanliness and curbing the high rate of school dropouts due to period penury battling girls in junior secondary two and three in the country.

Also, the programme was to discourage the use of old rags and other toxic materials by girls during their menstrual period due to their inability to afford proper sanitary pads, Track News Nigeria has gathered.

Speaking at the presentation of the items yesterday, the Managing Director of Oriental Energy Resources Ltd, Mr. Mustapha Indimi explained that the initiative was in support of the Menstrual Hygiene Day which takes place May 28 every year.

Head Community and Government Relations Officer, Dr. Uwem Ite, who attended to represent Indimi said that Oriental Energy Resources Ltd was having headache at the sad tales of girls dropping out from school due to period poverty.

“There is no doubt that education is a human right. As such every child has a right to education and no girl should stay away from school due to period poverty.

“Period poverty is a situation where women and girls cannot afford proper menstrual hygiene products due to financial hardship. It is also viewed as inadequate access to menstrual tools and education which makes it difficult for students to safely manage their menstrual cycle.

“Our support for 2022 Menstrual Hygiene Day is also a contribution towards fighting period poverty, improving gender equality in education. These issues are all in line with Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), 3, 4, 5 adopted by the United Nations in September 2015.

“It is pertinent to note here that the SDG 3 focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for everyone at all ages.

“Unfortunately, it is evident that if women and girls lack access to affordable, hygienic menstrual products, they often use old rags, cloths or other unhygienic materials. This can lead to reproductive tract infections and other health conditions”, he commented.

The Drector of Aniedi Etim Foundation, Miss Aniedi Etim, stressed that there was need to work on the issue of period poverty among teenage girls in the society.

She added: “Before I get to to say why we are here gathered this morning, I will like to first mention that i never knew that what my friends and i experienced back then in secondary school as teenage girls was called period poverty, not until some years later.

“So, my friends and i used to skip school during menstruation most of the time because we couldn’t afford menstrual products, and because we were afraid of getting stained and teased by boys and girls at school so we would rather stay home during menstruation because the discomfort that comes with having to make use of unhygienic materials during menstruation is indiscribable”.