By Salim Yunusa
Some adolescent girls in Rigasa community, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State have produced about 15,000 reusable sanitary pads using local materials.
Mr Yusha’u Abubukar, Executive Director, Enhancing Communities Action for Peace and Better Health Initiative (E-Caph), made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Friday
Abubakar said that the sanitary pads were produced by 150 adolescent girls, 15 to 18 years, who were rounding up a three-month training on how to make the pads as a means of livelihood.
He described the production of the reusable pads as “first of its kind” for adolescent young girls in urban slums like Rigasa to be self-reliant and take care of their menstruation hygiene.
He said that the girls were being trained with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) under its Risk Communication and Community Engagement project (RCCE).
He added that the RCCE project was under the UN Basket Fund support to COVID-19 Response in the state.
According to him, the girls are becoming the largest producers of locally made reusable pads in Northern Nigeria.
“A significant number of adolescent girls in Rigasa community cannot afford modern sanitary pads critical for maintaining menstrual hygiene.
“The outbreak of COVID-19 has exacerbated the problem of poverty among vulnerable households in the community and other urban slums in the state.
“This development has left adolescent vulnerable girls helpless with no access to sanitary pads, contraceptives as well as sexual and reproductive health services and information.
This training has, therefore, empower the vulnerable girls to handle their menstruation hygiene by producing a reusable sanitary pad that can be reused from three to six months.”
The executive director said that the project has equally provided adolescent girls with opportunities to acquire life skills, build support networks, and develop the ability to advocate for themselves.
