The Chief of Staff, Frema Osei-Opare, has donated 2,400 pieces of sanitary pads to female schoolchildren in the Bantama Circuit of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Ashanti Region.

The Chief of Staff's donation is intended to support the girls' education during their menstrual cycle and guarantee they have access to sustained high-quality feminine hygiene.

Her donation was part of activities marking the 2024 Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration held on May 28, with the global theme "#Period-Friendly World."

The day, celebrated every year on May 28, aims to break taboos and spread awareness about menstrual health and hygiene around the world.

The donation was made by the queen mother of Race Course Market, Nana Afia Kyeiwaa, on behalf of the Chief of Staff at the Adventist Senior High School in Bantama.

The Chief of Staff stated in her message, which was read on her behalf that it is her duty as a mother to give the pads to the children, whom she views as her grandchildren, to improve their personal hygiene.

She said the donation, which will be done regularly, is also "to build their confidence, enable regular school attendance without breaks, avoid embarrassing experiences, and help the children adapt to the use of disposable menstrual pads, which are medically proven for menstrual hygiene."

Frema Osei-Opare advised the children not to allow men to take advantage of them by promising to buy them pads during menstruation, which can often lead to pregnancy.

"Menstruation is a normal part of life; you should know how to use the pads to improve your feminine hygiene. Don't feel shy about attending school because of your menses. If you have any issues with your menses, please talk to your mother or any of the female teachers," she said.

Receiving the sanitary pads on behalf of the Kumasi Metro Education Directorate, Joana Quarshie Jnr. expressed gratitude to the Chief of Staff for the gesture.

She believed that it goes a long way in addressing some of the challenges female children face during their menstrual cycle, especially absenteeism during class hours.

The organizers of the event, Live the Dream Foundation, educated the children on how to maintain good hygiene during that time of the month.

The Patron of Live the Dream Foundation, Ivy Oppong Wireko, helped them understand that menstruation is a natural cycle that women go through and that they should not accept narratives that make them feel unclean.

Speaking with Otec News, the girls expressed their excitement about menstruation education, the pads they received, and their gratitude to the Chief of Staff for the donation.