Fern Empowerment Foundation (FEF), an NGO focused on the welfare and education of children has marked the 2022 Menstrual Hygiene Day (MHD) with parents and students of the Palace Gold School in Krispol City, Kasoa.
The event which took place on Saturday, 28th May 2022, was to educate girls on the importance of hygiene during the menstrual period, create a bond between parents and students through the menstrual hygiene conversation and address the persisting stigmas around menstruation.
Held under the theme, ‘We are Committed’, the event was categorized into three sessions, namely, ‘A brief on Menstrual Hygiene’, ‘Heart-to-Heart with Mama’, and the ‘beading of menstrual bracelets.’
Education
Team member of the Foundation, Betty Essien, speaking during the first session, educated the audience on why menstruation occurs, how it occurs and the importance of personal hygiene during menstruation.
Betty used the opportunity to encourage girls never to be ashamed of menstruation as she explained that it is a natural process every woman will experience at a point in their life. She also urged male students of the school to help break the stigma around menstruation and do all they can to offer help to girls during their period when needed.
Parent-child bonding
The first session was then followed by the ‘Heart-to Heat with Mama’; a stimulation where mothers were tasked to debunk a popular myth around menstruation and menstrual hygiene for the educational benefit of their wards.
Among the many myths that were addressed, some mothers were especially interested in the myth that girls were ‘impure’ during their period. According to some, ancient traditions enforced that notion as girls who had their periods were not allowed to cook or go close to their male counterparts. However, modernization and civilization have revealed that girls are not impure during their menstruation and they can engage in their day-to-day activities. The parents, however, urged their wards to maintain good personal hygiene during their periods to prevent infections, among other things.
The Menstrual Bracelet and Inclusion
The event was climaxed with the beading of the popular menstrual bracelet which consists of 28 elements of which 5 are red. The menstrual bracelet which symbolizes the menstruation cycle was a task for both male and female students to symbolize each person’s commitment to starting the conversation around menstruation and helping push back the stigma around periods.
The organization also donated sanitary items and sanitary pads to girls and mothers present at the event.
Gratitude
Following the successful event held over the weekend, co-founder of Fern Empowerment Foundation, Ruth Yamoah, expressed her gratitude to the management and staff of the Palace Gold School for supporting the Foundation’s worthy cause.
She added, “We are especially grateful to Mr. Nicholas Konduah, Mr. Jesus Konduah, Mr.Nicholas Konduah Jnr., the staff, parents, and students of the school for their immense support to this all-important event. Indeed, the conversation on menstruation and menstrual hygiene is one that has been relegated to the back as though it is a taboo to speak about them. At Fern Empowerment Foundation, however, it is our goal to break the silence, end the stigma and mobilize more support for the awareness creation of the challenges associated with menstruation and proffer solutions to these challenges.”
According to Ms. Yamoah, this activity is the second of its kind since the Foundation held the first MHD event at St. Bakhita School Complex at the Odumase Krobo district in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
On his part, Administrator of Palace Gold School, Jesus Konduah stated that he was very thankful to the Foundation for their swift response after the school requested their presence on this day.
“Indeed, in every good organization, there are plans and schedules put in place for the successful implementation of projects. And I know Fern Empowerment Foundation had its own calendar for the commemoration of this day. But I must say, I am impressed with how Fern included us in their calendar just to educate students of our school on menstrual hygiene. For this, we are grateful. This demonstrates how passionate you are about the work you do. I assure you that your time and efforts in educating our little ones and even their parents will not be in vain as every information provided will be put to use.”
Menstrual Hygiene Day takes place on 28 May every year. It’s a chance to highlight the importance of menstrual care, and raise awareness about the issues faced by those who don’t have access to sanitary products.
About Fern Empowerment Foundation
Fern Empowerment Foundation is a Ghanaian-based NGO focused on improving the lives of children through education. was established in February 2018 by Ms. Ruth Yamoah and Ms. Frankina Awurama Nkrumah, the organization aims to implement innovative projects to help students (children) in diverse ways. The organization’s mission is directed toward working with schools, organizations, and communities to ensure that children are given the right and enabling environment needed to acquire knowledge. The foundation is also in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 4, and 5 which emphasize the well-being of children, education, and gender equality and that all barriers that limit the right of students to proper education may be dealt with through our various projects and initiatives.