According to UN estimates, the closed to five years armed conflict rocking the North West and South West regions of Cameroon has displaced over 700 000 people and forced over 60 000 to flee to neighbouring Nigeria for safety as refugees.
Young refugee girls pose with sanitary pads after menstrual hygiene lectures from officials of the Int'l Menstrual Hygiene Coalition
Thousands of young girls and women who make the majority of these refugees living under dire situations and face unbearable conditions during their period every month have been availed with knowledge on good menstrual hygiene management and offered closed to 1000 reusable sanitary pads as a sustainable solution to improve their sexual reproductive health.
The sensitization and donation took place at the Adagon refugee camp in Cross River State, Southern Nigeria. It is the initiative of members of the International Menstrual Hygiene Coalition – a union of not-for-profit organisations drawn from Cameroon, Nigeria, USA and Brazil. The project championed by award-winning NGO, Welisane Foundation - a not-for-profit organization that fights to address issues that block the female folk from advancing in the society to reach their utmost capacity - was patronized by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family with the blessings of the Prime Minister while technical support was gotten from the UN agency for refugees (UNHCR) and Wash United.
As explained by the General Coordinator of coalition, Welisane Mokwe Nkeng, the project which is in its pilot phase was launched 28 May 2021 as part of activates to mark 2021 World Menstrual Hygiene Day celebrated under the theme “Action and Investment in Menstrual Hygiene and Health”.
Welisane said the project aims at not only providing support to underprivileged girls and women but to help them to change the negative perceptions around menstrual hygiene and advocate the importance of good menstrual hygiene management.
Welisane Mokwe Nkeng, General Coordinator of the coalition schooling young girls and women on how to manage their periods in privacy and safety
“We came here to support our own sisters, our own mothers who fled the ongoing Anglophone crisis and are here in Nigeria based on the unbearable conditions they face during their period,” said Welisane, the Founder/Coordinator of Welisane Foundation. She disclosed that at least 1000 reusable pads were handed to the female refugees as a sustainable solution to improve their sexual reproductive health in the launch of the pilot phase of the project to last three months.
The project is implemented through an integrated, multi-sector approach consisting the promotion of the rights of displaced persons, menstrual hygiene and reproductive health amongst refugees in the camp.
Coalition team with bags of sanitary pads to be distributed to refugees
“This phase will run till July 28. The target within this three months is to raise up to 2000 pads that we wanted to give,” she revealed, adding, that the donations will continue to be forwarded this time to the refugees in cash as more and more support comes in from partners, people of goodwill so as to meet up with their target which was to donate 2000 pads.
Beneficiaries were all joy
“We are hoping that with these reusable parts with antimicrobial properties, they can be able to manage their period in privacy, safety and in dignity…to break the stigma, the shame and of course encourage menstrual health and good menstrual health management,” Welisane stated, while underscoring the need to continue menstruation talks to displaced and underprivileged persons.
Sensitization talks on menstruation with refugees
Other not-for-profit organizations that partnered to realize this dream initiated by Welisane Foundation included notably Aid Refugee Children, Speak Up Sis, Natineee, Network for Solidarity, Hope and Empowerment (N4She), She’s STEM, Plume D’or, CLISSD among others. The General Coordinator said the project will executed annually in order to help build the idea of the coalition stronger around menstrual hygiene stronger.
Mothers dancing in appreciation of gesture from int'l menstrual hygiene coalition
She saluted the warm reception that was accorded them by the refugees and appreciated the financial, technical and moral contribution of all those who supported the project. “We thank the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family. We thank all the members, partners and individuals who supported this project,” she said.
Lectures on how to use pads
The beneficiaries on their part expressed gratitude to the donors for thinking about them and their plight in the neighbouring country as violence continues to persist back home. “We really appreciate them because the pads will help the girls to keep clean and stay healthy,” said one of the beneficiaries. They used the opportunity to appeal to other people of goodwill to emulate the example of the coalition to donate to them so as to enable them remain safe, clean and healthy.
About World Menstrual Hygiene Day
The day is observed every May 28 to acknowledge that 28 days is the average length of the menstrual cycle. Girls and women menstruate an average of five days each month and May is the fifth month of the year, according to WASH united, a German non-profit organization and founder of the menstrual hygiene day.
Reusable pads handed to mothers
By Doh Bertrand Nua
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