Anambra First Lady establishes sanitary pad banks in 350 schools

Dr. Nonye Soludo, the wife of the Anambra State Governor, has established 350 sanitary pad banks across secondary schools in the state to assist young girls during their menstrual cycle.

The project is executed through her non-governmental organization, Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative.

The intervention was officially highlighted during a ceremony marking World Menstrual Hygiene Day at the Government House in Awka.

Addressing over 2,000 students at the ceremony, Mrs Soludo said that through the banks, students are supplied pads when needed and on a regular basis, without having to skip classes.

She expressed joy that her NGO has gone beyond advocacy to practical intervention, disclosing that over 1000 students in the state have already registered online and are accessing the website and serving as ambassadors for sanitary hygiene in the state.

According to her, over 25,000 packs of sanitary pads have been distributed through this initiative to support school girls.

She added that the pad banks have not only improved personal hygiene among young girls, but have also restored confidence, reduced absenteeism, and created a more comfortable environment for learning and concentration in schools.

She said: “As we celebrate this year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day, I stand before you not just as a mother, a woman, or the wife of the Governor of Anambra State, but as an advocate for dignity, health, confidence, and the future of our children, especially girls.

“Menstruation is a natural part of life. It is not a curse. It is not a taboo. It is not something any girl should be ashamed of.

“Yet, across many communities, countless girls still suffer in silence because of stigma, poor hygiene education, lack of sanitary materials, and harmful cultural and social misconceptions.

“Some are isolated, mocked, restricted from certain activities, or made to feel unclean and inferior during their menstrual cycle. This should never be so.

“Today, I lend my voice strongly to the call for an end to every form of discrimination, stigma, and harmful practices against menstruating women and girls.

“We must replace shame with understanding, silence with education, and exclusion with compassion and support.

“Every girl deserves to experience her womanhood with dignity, confidence, and pride, not fear or humiliation.

“For many girls, knowing that help is available during their menstrual cycle has removed fear, anxiety, and embarrassment from the classroom experience”.

A healthy society, she added, begins with healthy families, noting that healthy families are built by informed, confident, and empowered women and girls.

“Through our Healthy Living Initiative, we have continued to promote cleanliness, proper hygiene, nutrition, physical wellness, and preventive healthcare across homes, communities and schools in Anambra State. We believe that good health is not a luxury; it is a right. It is lifestyle!

“Among the six cardinal pillars of Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo, hygiene, both personal and environmental, remains one of the most critical. This is because we understand that healthy habits formed early in life help to build healthier homes, healthier communities, and a healthier society.

“Through several interventions in schools across Anambra State, especially through our Healthy Living School Clubs, we have continued to educate and empower children on the necessity and benefits of proper hygiene.

“We are intentionally raising a generation of children who understand cleanliness, self-care, environmental responsibility, and healthy living practices,” she added.

She encouraged parents to educate their daughters with love and openness and urged schools to sustain menstrual hygiene awareness and provide supportive environments for girls.

She also called on communities, religious institutions, corporate organizations, and development partners to join hands in breaking the silence around menstruation.