Orange Sierra Leone has on Wednesday championed the provision of free reproductive health services and education on menstrual hygiene at Model, Government Rokel and United Methodist Church Primary Schools, all in central Freetown.
The Company committed a whooping USD 1.5 million material support to the Free Quality Education in diverse areas in collaboration with various partners.
Desmond Spaine, Head of CSR for Orange Sierra Leone, noted that his company’s support towards menstrual hygiene in schools was consistent with the clarion call by government to the private sector to support its Human Capital Development flag ship project.
Mr. Spaine continued that in partnership with the Girl Child Network Sierra Leone, a Child Activist Organization operating in the northern part of Sierra Leone, they are helping young girls in schools with the management of their menstruation periods with the provision of hygiene packs and education while in School.
He noted that they have identified that getting girls to stay in school during their menstrual periods has been a very serious challenge and this has led many of them to miss classes and even examinations.
Mr. Spaine entreated girls in all the schools visited and encouraged them to pay attention to their schooling.
The provision of hygiene packs, he noted, was necessary largely due to the fact that girls could not afford to buy disposable packs while they are undergoing their menstruation in schools.
This, according to him, has led many of them to contract many diseases.
The eco-freindly menstrual hygiene packs provided by Orange Sierra Leone are manufactured in Makeni.
They are not harmful to the environment as the other disposable ones are which have proved very disastrous for the environment due to their rampant disposals around.
Abibatu Kamara of Girl Child Network Sierra Leone delivered a short talk to the girls on how to use the packs and also encouraged them to open up the discussions around their menstrual periods and recounted that it is no longer a taboo.
According to her, the girls should celebrate themselves hence they started seeing their menstruation as it is the start of their womanhood.
School authorities at the various schools visited, lauded Orange Sierra Leone for the brilliant initiative which, according to them, has been greatly affecting the retention rate of girls in schools.
They assured Orange Sierra Leone that they will execute the project and ensure that the pupils are supported with the packs and counseling whenever they are undergoing their menstrual periods.
Representatives of the three schools visited and distributed with the hygiene packs thanked and appreciated Orange Sierra Leone for guiding them through a critical period in their lives.