Her Excellency Madam Fatima Maada Bio has on Friday May 21 2021 reached Segbwema and Daru with the distribution of the Free Sanitary Pad project.
Welcoming the First Lady and her guests, the Principal Holy Ghost Secondary School in Segbwema and Daru, Isata Sandy said, that the distribution of the Sanitary Pads is an historic event, as it was in Segbwema the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ started, while applauding her Excellency for her laudable venture as she has been all over the country ensuring that the Free Sanitary Pads reaches her girls.
The Pemanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United nations Mr Fanday Turay while addressing dignitaries and pupils at the Segbwema and Daru welcomed H.E the First Lady to the soil of Segbwema and Daru, adding that a year ago, she was there to roll out her prestigious program which is the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ for which she received overwhelming support from Segbwema.
Mr Fanday stated, that they have started witnesssing the benefits of the project, while mentioning that the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ is not only limited to advocating against men raping girls but to attend to the silent emergencies of girls, like menstruation.
He added that, it is a must that girls be given an opportunity to go to school, stay in school, and complete school, as that is what the campaign stands for.
Furthering that, H.E the First Lady has seen that menstruation is a silent emergency that is militating against girls, while applauding her for such a laudable initiative and urge other development partners to emulate her example.
The First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Madam Fatima Maada Bio, expressed her appreciation to the people of Segbwema and Daru as the ‘Hands off our girls’ campaign started in the district.
The First Lady informed the pupils present that menstruation is natural perquisite for every teenage girl and should not brvsomething they should be ashamed of.
โMenstruation is not a choice, and need not be ashamed because it is not a crime,โ Madam Fatima told the girls.
She admonished them to focus on their education and say โNoโ to Early Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy, as she emphasized that sex is inevitable but it is more safer to have sex at the right time, while urging the girls to abstain from sex, as it should be their priority while in school, but rather girls should focus on their education, as with the education they are assured a promising future.
The First Lady reiterated that the issue of menstruation is not a choice for young girls who have reached puberty, but a natural process that is part of womanhood, as over the years the situation has been used to victimize school girls who experience their menstrual period during school hour. She furthered that there are stories of girls being ask to go home during school simply because they experience their monthly menstruation in school and soil their uniforms, hence it is obvious that for most of the girls, sanitary pad is a luxury and they canโt afford it to hygienically handle their flow, which most often gives them the option to prefer staying at home where they feel safe.
Strategic Communication Division
Office of The First Lady
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