Plan International, Global Affairs Canada Empower 35 Bauchi Students with Menstrual Hygiene Skills, Kits
By, Aliyu Adamu Faggo
Plan International, through its ASPIRE Project and with support from Global Affairs Canada, has empowered 35 female students of the Special Education Centre, Yelwa, Bauchi, with knowledge and menstrual hygiene kits as part of activities marking the 2026 International Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Speaking during the event, the Principal of the Special Education Centre, Yelwa, Hajiya Jamila Salisu Garba, commended Plan International for organizing the awareness programme aimed at equipping students with practical knowledge on menstrual hygiene management.
She urged the beneficiaries to apply the lessons learned in maintaining proper personal hygiene.
Delivering a presentation on this year’s theme, “Myths and Misconceptions,” the Senior Project Coordinator of Plan International, Alhaji Nasir Mohammed Musa, said the organization selected the school to strengthen students’ understanding of menstruation and promote dignity among adolescent girls.
He explained that the initiative was designed to empower participants with accurate information on menstrual health and encourage them to share the knowledge with others in their communities, with the goal of ensuring that no girl is disadvantaged during her menstrual period.
Also speaking, the Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists NAWOJ, Bauchi State Chapter, said the event was organized to commemorate International Menstrual Hygiene Day and promote healthy menstrual practices among adolescent girls, thereby boosting their confidence and supporting their educational pursuits.
In her remarks, Plan International’s Gender Equality Officer, Mrs. Damaris Philimon, noted that Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed annually on May 28 and stressed that menstruation is a natural biological process and should not be viewed as a source of shame or embarrassment.
Mrs. Philimon urged the students to embrace their menstrual health with confidence and reject societal misconceptions surrounding menstruation.
A health expert from Tirwun Primary Healthcare Centre, Bauchi, Nurse Halima Ibrahim Muhammad, educated the students on the menstrual cycle, explaining that menstrual bleeding originates from the uterus and can begin as early as nine years of age in some girls.
She outlined common symptoms associated with menstruation, including abdominal pain, waist pain, pimples and occasional nausea, while advising on proper management and the importance of seeking medical attention when necessary.
The health expert further emphasized the need for regular changing of sanitary pads, routine bathing, proper washing of undergarments and overall personal hygiene to prevent unpleasant odour and infections during menstruation.
As part of the celebration, Plan International’s ASPIRE Project and Global Affairs Canada distributed menstrual hygiene kits to the 35 female students which contained sanitary pads, deodorants, body sprays and detergents to support healthy menstrual hygiene practices.
