GIFT - A- PAD CAMPAIGN IN NIGERIA

Girls of secondary school ages in my country fall between the age bracket of 11 to 16 years and these years are very critical as they are the years of puberty, where notable changes begin to take place in their bodies, primarily. One of these major changes is the monthly blood flow otherwise known as menstruation.

A recent survey I took which was prompted by a very heart-rending occurrence I witnessed in March this year, had stirred up a need for this campaign. I had witnessed a very sordid sight were a young girl I call LUCY (not her real name) had alighted from a commercial motorcycle, only for the piece of clothe she had used for her flow to drop off in the full glare of people at the bus stop and other passers-by. I witnessed her shame and this shame I now find is the stark reality of one in four girls in Public Schools in Nigeria. These schools are predominantly attended by indigent children who oftentimes their parents cannot afford pads for.

I started this campaign in April 2017 with the hashtag #girlsmatter #Ideserveapad #giftapad on my Facebook page.

I used the crowd-sourcing knowledge I had acquired from The Advanced Digital Changemaking Course I attended on WorldPulse and was able to generate funds enough to place a month supply of sanitary pads in the hands of 192 girls at a public high school in my community.

From findings made, this that we have done is just a drop in the ocean, considering the lots of girls who are yet to be reached.

The Gift - A- Pad Campaign says every girl deserves Protective Appropriate Dressing (P.A.D) every month.

The Gift - A - Pad Campaign says sex is a choice, menstruation is not. If condoms are free, pads should be free too!

The Gift - A - Pad Campaign needs you!

Join the Gift - A - Pad Campaign by first spreading the hashtags #girlsmatter #giftapad and #Ideserveapad all over social media until governments in Nigeria and other third world countries legislates that pads should be free for all girls of secondary school age.

How to Get Involved

Join me on this campaign by spreading the hashtags

fund us with cash for the pads, contact us through okpograce@gmail.com

Like and share our activities on facebook.com/ifocusmovement