IPNEWS: A local humanitarian organization, Our Children’s Future-Liberia has been providing Reusable Menstrual Hygiene Kits for female students for the last three years in six of Liberia’s fifteen counties.
Making the disclosure to IPNEWS on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, the. Executive Director of the group Madam Josephine K. Barclay indicated that her primary goal for establishing the NGO was to reach out to underprivileged female students, many of whom stay out of school when having their menstrual period.
Madam Barclay further explained that given her background when growing up as a child, she never had the opportunity to fully apply the necessary hygienic care whenever she was experiencing her menses. She noted that throughout her life as a child to reach maturity nobody talked to her about what she was supposed to do.
She narrated that as a result of that, she suffered chronic infection until she met her first love who once saw her using the sponge from the mattress to control the oozing of fluid. Madam Barclay intimated to IPNEWS that it was her first boyfriend who taught her how to take care of herself when having such a condition.
Mrs. Barclay, who is also an educator, told IPNEWS that menstruation is a serious problem and should claim the attention of every well-meaning people who want to see their girl children healthy while going to school.
The group, Our Children’s Future -Liberia was organized in 2010 but got into full swing in 2018 when she served at the Garretson W. Gibson Public School and noticed that girls were not attending classes because of their Menstruation, and it was during this period the group started to distribute free reusable home-made Menstrual Hygiene Kits. According to Madam Josephine K. Barclay, a package of assorted items including 10 under clothes, 10 reusable cortex, toothpaste /toothbrush, 10 roll -on among others is given to female students for one year. She noted that since the establishment of the local NGO, it has been distributing these kits to thousands of girls in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Bong, Nimba, Grand Bassa, and Montserrado Counties.
Madam Barclay named Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Rotary Club of Monrovia as well as goodwill individuals at home and in the United States who according to her are currently supporting her initiative but still need more support in order to reach girls in other counties. She further stressed that poor hygiene can be very dangerous to the growth and development of the girl child. She is hoping that no girl child will suffer from chronic infections due to unhygienic conditions. Madam Barclay who expressed delight over the kind of commendations and feedback from the counties is therefore appealing to all people of goodwill to support this worthwhile initiative that will enable our girls to develop a sense of menstrual hygiene as they move forward.
She is also asking the general public for support in order to continue with her dream of building a menstrual hygienic conscious society among future mothers of Liberia. Seykajipo Amegashie writes; 0777594750/0880554136
