US-based Charity Foundation Soccer for Dreamers has held a day’s educational workshop for some newly-promoted Women’s Premier League (WPL) club on menstrual cups and its long-term benefit for players.
Held at the offices of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), the event brought together newly-promoted Southern Zone sides Essiam Socrates FC, Ridge City Football Club Women, Northern zone side Candy Soccer Academy together with Army Ladies.
Madam Sylvia Akwaboah mother of the three siblings, who are the founders of the Foundation, took the teams through the sustainability benefit of the cups in terms of its use compared to menstrual pad.
After the event, the Foundation donated boxes of menstrual cups, wristbands, soaps, boots, footballs, sheen guards and other kits to the teams.
Speaking to Times Sports after the workshop and donation, Madam Akwaboah noted that the reason why the menstrual cup talk came about was as a result of a discussion she had with members of the Women’s League Board when they were preparing to bring some football equipment to support the female teams.
“It was during our conversation that I got wind of the fact that aside teams being under-funded, some female players often are not able to afford the different methods of menstrual hygiene when it comes to their period. And, it is the reason some of them miss training as well as games when it is that time of the month.
“For me, this set me thinking as to why in this day and age, anyone should be left out of doing activities they love because of something as natural as menstruation.”
She noted that menstrual cups are cost-effective, as the cost of a cup is about the price of a year worth of pad and so it was cool for all to get a cup as compared to other methods.
Madam Akwaboah was excited at the reception accorded her after the presentation, hoping that come next year when the Foundation comes back to the teams, “the feedback would be that they have used it and other girls would be asking for it.”
“Indeed, it would be a dream come through to see girls asking for it because they just see it as an in disposable method to manage their menstrual hygiene,” she stated.
She noted that in the coming year they are looking at instituting an ambassadorship programme where persons in other states would be mandated to collect stuff on behalf of the Foundation to be donated in the country.
“We would be looking at spreading our wings to the other divisions and regions to make sure if not all, most of the women’s team benefit from such equipment.”
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
