By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
A Women-led Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), African HUB for Community Progress Initiative in Nigeria (AfriHUB), has advocated for a dedicated budget line for the management of mentrual hygiene in schools in Bauchi State.
The NGO also canvassed for the establishment of sanitary pad incubator centres within the 3 sanetorial zones of Bauchi State.
These were part of the discussions that took place today, during a one day conference organised by AfriHUB, with support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) under Plan International’s ASPIRE Project in Bauchi State.
Participants at the conference also agreed on the need for teacher training on sexual and reproductive health education to enable adolescent girls get informed canceling from their teachers at school.
Earlier in a welcome address during conference, Executive Director of AfriHUB, Dr. Saba’atu Elizabeth Danladi said the conference was aimed at building on what the CAC funded ASPIRE Project in Bauchi State started last year on strengthening SRHR education within school and community environments.
The ED said that the Conference would seek to proffer recommendations for improved SRHR education through teacher training, supportive supervision and infrastructural development in schools.
She then expressed her appreciation to the participants for their interests in mentrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in Bauchi State and implored them to sustain the tempo.
In a keynote address titled “Importance of strengthening SRHR education in schools”, Executive Director of Nurture and Empower Her Initiative (NEHI), Florence Uzoanya said that everyone young persons deserves the right to accurate information about their bodies, health and relationships but lamented that most adolescent age brackets are left in the dark regarding SRHR education not only in Bauchi State, but the Nigeria at large.
Uzoanya expressed her hope on the outcome of the conference to further address the existing gaps in SRHR education especially in mentrual hygiene management and promotion in schools.
In a goodwill message, the Executive Director of a North East media based NGO, Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD), Ms. Elizabeth Carr commended the CAC funded ASPIRE Project for their interests toward improved mentrual hygiene management.
Carr pledged her organisation’s commitment to partnership with local and international partners in amplifying advocacy messages using innovative skills to reach all target audiences.
The conference featured panel discussions on strategies for improving teacher training and capacity building in SRHR education.
Other areas discussed by the penalists were centered on effective approaches to supportive supervision/mentoring of teachers, and addressing infrastructure challenges/opportunities for improving SRHR education in Bauchi State.
There were contributions from participants, cutting across school principals, ward development committee leaders, officials of the Bauchi State Ministries of Education, Health , Women Affairs, Budget and Planning, Primary Health Care Development Board, other relevant MDAs, CSOs, CBOs, FBOs and the Media.
Our Correspondent reports that the Plan International’s ASPIRE Project is being funded by Global Affairs Canada and being implemented by AfriHUB.