Some public schools within the greater Accra metropolis have hailed tv3’s Etornam Sey for her consistency and deliberate support for teenage girls in public schools.

As the world marks menstrual hygiene day, her foundation, INSPIRE TODAY, donated educational and other items worth 10 thousand cedis to over 300 girls of Dansoman ‘A’ Cluster of schools.

Dansoman Basic 1 will be the 11th public school in Ghana to receive such support from the Inspire Today team.

Coordinator of Ablekuma West School Health Educational Programme, Vincentia Bonuedi expressed worry over lack of support for teenage girls in public school ‘the girls miss school when they are menstruating, and sadly, the determined ones who come around stain themselves because they either do not have sanitary pads or they are not enough. We thank INSPIRE TODAY and Etornam for consistently supporting these girls, we need more of such supports’ she added
Executive secretary of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Lucia Addae-Ntiri who is a member of INSPIRE TODAY Foundation says she was touched by the stories of these girls who can only boast of one under pant.

‘Imagine going through your menstrual cycle with a single pant, the entire 7 days, and their parents genuinely cannot afford to buy more than one pant for their girls’ she explained.

As part of the donation and mentoring exercise, the girls were taken through personal hygiene tips and career path coaching.

A senior nursing officer at the Korlebu teaching hospital, Doris Otubea Bosompem, who is a member of the team was concerned about the increasing spate of teenage pregnancies as a result of poverty, encouraging society to support.
The Inspire Today team donated over 300 pieces of sanitary pads, underpants, toothbrushes, bathing soap, educational materials among others.

‘We honestly should do more than we are doing and we acknowledge the fact that government cannot do it alone. We are therefore calling for support to change the narrative for these girls who will need more than just empowerment speeches. We currently have about 21 public schools asking for similar support for their girls and we need funds to be able to reach far especially the rural communities,’ she explained.

As Ghana joins the world to mark menstrual hygiene day, it has become expedient to empower young girls to remain confident.

World Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed on May 28, every year. The aim of this day is to change the social stigma and taboos associated with menstruation.