Abuja: Tabitha Cumi Foundation (TCF), an NGO, has trained peer mentors and guidance counselors in FCT, Lagos, and Benue States on menstrual health hygiene management and mainstreaming prevention and response mechanisms on gender-based violence in secondary schools. Mrs. Nendirmwa Ohah, Programme Manager, TCF, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

According to News Agency of Nigeria, the initiative is part of the Always Keeping Girls in School project funded by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) America. The project provides psychosocial support and reproductive health education to encourage consistent school attendance among girls and challenge menstrual myths and stigmas.

Ohah highlighted that guidance counselors were trained to support girls in establishing emergency pad banks within their schools and were equipped with the knowledge needed to assist peer mentors during Safe Space learning sessions. The counselors were also empowered to challenge and disrupt myths and taboos surrounding menstruation. The goal is to ensure that girls understand menstruation as a natural and dignified experience.

She pointed out that many girls, especially in underserved communities, lack access to sanitary products, resulting in them missing school or leaving early during their menstrual periods. A girl who menstruates for five days each month and has no access to pads could miss up to 15 school days per term. Through this training, guidance counselors are now better prepared to support these girls and help them stay in school.

Ohah emphasized that the impact of the programme extends beyond the initial schools involved. As counselors are transferred to other schools, they continue to replicate the knowledge and systems, ensuring more girls have the support they need to complete their education. She reiterated the commitment of the organization towards providing support to marginalized women and girls, enhancing their dignity and empowering them to function effectively in society.