NGO Distributes Free Hygiene Kits to Vulnerable Girls, Women in Plateau

By Jide Afolabi, Jos

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Saphira Global Center for Social Development in conjunction with Hanan Initiative for Women and Youths on Friday, distributed hygiene kits to vulnerable girls, lactating mothers and women in a Muslim dominated community in Duala, Nasarawa area of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The beneficiaries numbering 50 were given packages which comprised of sanitary pads, toothpaste, toilet soaps, diapers, Vaseline, and detergent among others.

The programme was part of the project titled “My Gender, My Pride” being implemented by the lead partner, Saphira Global Center for Social Development in collaboration with Hanan Initiative for Women and Youths in Plateau State.

It also began the 16-day activities towards the marking of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women which is celebrated every November 25.

While speaking with journalists, the Executive Director, Saphira Global Center for Social Development, Mrs Yil Fomwul Gonsum, a filmmaker and social activist, with passion for humanitarian work said that the project was embarked upon because of the low sensitisation on health and hygiene in particular in the target community. She said that similar programme would be carried out in hard to be reached Christian community in the state soon too.

She added that community intervention hardly reaches the beneficiaries saying that the programme was facilitated through crowd-funding with a major supporter, Area Manager of Molfix for North East, Terry Chukwunonzo Eze donating ten cartons of Molfix Sanitary Pad called Molped.

In her own remarks, Ms Jemila Idris, the Chief Executive Officer of Hanan Initiative for Women and Youth said that the target community engages in open defecation and different kinds of health risk activities stressing that outbreak of diseases often begin in these hard to be reached communities and later gets to the general public.

She stated that the group had earlier in September organised a health talk in the community where participants raised concerns on health issues specifically in the area of hygiene management and environment stressing that the women urged Plateau State Government to return the monthly sanitation in the state.

The participants were grateful to the organisers of the programme promising to make judicious use of the hygiene kits. They, however, appealed to the government to provide supports to vulnerable girls and women in the state.