MELCOM Care Foundation yesterday presented 164 boxes of sanitary pads and 85 cartons of drinks to the “Touching the Lives of Girls Foundation” to be distributed to more than 5,000 girls in five regions across the country.
The donation was in support of the World Menstrual Hygiene Day slated for May 28 2022, to assist needyschool-going female pupils and students in the regular care of menstrual hygiene practices.
The beneficiaries were from the Central, Ashanti, Volta, Eastern and Western Regions.
Mr Godwin Avenorgbo, Group Director of Communications, Melcom Group of Companies, speaking at the event in Accra, said the World Menstrual Hygiene Day was important for the foundation because “the woman is the mother of our nation and quality reproductive health is critical in the attainment of the goal of qualitative child upbringing and family life”.
He said figures available to the foundation indicated that there were about 4.5million girls in schools from basic to Senior High Schools (SHSs).
“The number is made up of about 56, 788 girls in Public SHSs and more than 41,514 girls in private SHSs. These numbers are quoted only as a sample to give a bird’s eye view of the gargantuan task of helping to maintain menstrual hygiene in our school going female population.”
Mr Avenorgbo stated that the foundation had also partnered Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC to support the Touching the Lives of Girls Foundation to hold seminars in the regions.
He said Melcom Care was committed to providing support for initiatives which were geared towards meeting the critical needs of Ghanaians.
“We will work with NGOs which demonstrate credibility and specialisation in their chosen line of operation and we invite well-meaning individuals and institutions of credible standing as good corporate citizens to join us as partners so we can reach as many needy people as possible,” he added.
The Category Manager, Formal Off trade, Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC, Ruth Lily Agbozo, similarly said her organisation was driven by gender diversity for which reason it had partnered Melcom Care in support of the seminars.
She revealed that her organisation in its customer appreciation week got to know of the initiative by the Touching the Lives of Girls Foundation which excited it and urged them to get on board.
The Category Manager, Formal Off trade, Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC said the project was a crucial one which needed more hands on board.
Nana Ama Adutwumwaa, Chief Executive Officer of the Touching the Lives of Girls Foundation, also an NGO, for her part, expressed the organisation’s gratitude to Melcom Care and Guinness Ghana Breweries PLC for the gesture.
She said her personal experience of having suffered some ailments after using fabrics for menstruation some years back spurred her on to begin the initiative.
The CEO of the NGO said just like her back then, most young girls were still ignorant of menstrual hygiene practices.
She, therefore, used the opportunity to call on all well-meaning individuals and organisations to get on board to drive home the idea.
BY ABIAGAIL ARTHUR
