Wellbeing Foundation Africa Adolescent Personal Social And Health Education Program Expands To Schools In Abuja

As global development stakeholders commemorated World Menstruation Hygiene Day, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), led by Toyin Saraki, Wife of Nigeria’s Senate President has expanded its landmark Adolescent Skills and Drills Personal Social And Health Education campaign to teenage girls in the Abuja metropolis, Federal Capital Territory, delivering confidence building information on menstrual hygiene to the students of Anglican Catholic School.

On 29th May, 2017, in a lively outreach session led by Wellbeing Youth Counselors, the teenage students of the Anglican Catholic School in Apo were taught about to menstrual hygiene management, based on the newly developed WBFA Adolescents Skills & Drills Handbook, and launched the Puberty instructional series of Medical Aid Films. The Handbook covers personal, social and health education topics, from Respectful Relationships and nutrition, to the Girl Declaration on the rights of the Girl-Child.

Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness day, on 28th May, that aims to break taboos and raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management for women and adolescent girls worldwide.

In many parts of sub-saharan Africa, girls can miss up to 5 days of school a month or drop out entirely due to insufficient access to water, sanitation and Hygiene facilities while improving access to WASH facilities can actually increase girls’ attendance at school.

Inadequate menstrual hygiene management is connected with several problems that females, particularly in developing countries with the WHO stating that unsafe water, sanitation and inadequate hygiene are the gravest risks to adolescent girls health, adversely affecting education, dignity and human rights of women and adolescent girls.