Over a thousand students from selected public basic schools in Accra have benefited from a sanitary pad donation exercise by the ARB Apex Bank Ladies' Association.

The donation exercise, which is part of the association's second-year anniversary celebration, was conducted in collaboration with the Ga East Municipal Directorate of the Ghana Health Service.

The beneficiaries were drawn from the Akporman Basic 1 and 2 and Abokobi Presbyterian cluster of schools in the Greater Accra Region on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.

Not only did the team from the ARB Apex Bank Ladies' Association and the Ga East Health Directorate hand out packs of sanitary pads to the school children, but they also spent time educating them on menstrual hygiene.

The female bankers dispelled some misconceptions about menstruation and raised awareness about measures the young girls could adopt to maintain proper menstrual hygiene.

Speaking to the media at the end of the donation, which saw the distribution of 1,600 packs of menstrual hygiene products to the students, Iris Obeng-Tudah, the president of the ARB Apex Bank Ladies' Association, explained that the gesture is part of the vision of the association, which aims to mentor and inspire young ladies.

"A key feature of our mission and vision is to mentor girls, as we mentor and inspire ourselves, and this initiative is part of that. Menstruation is a normal part of the female experience, so we found it prudent to come and support them as they go through the process. At the early stages, some girls feel shy and stigmatized when experiencing their period, so we also educated them about it and emphasized that it was a normal part of their lives," she said.

One of the beneficiaries who spoke to the media expressed profound gratitude to the ARB APEX Bank Ladies' Association and the Ga East Municipal Assembly for the gesture.

She implored Heaven to bestow blessings on the members of the two organizations and assured that the insights offered by the bankers would go a long way in shaping their understanding and management of their periods.

Formed in 2022, the ARB APEX Bank Ladies' Association aims to support the growth of the bank and women in the country through various charitable projects and initiatives.