About Pad A Girl Initiative

The Pad-A-Girl Initiative program is designed to empower young girls and women against health challenges as a result of their natural monthly cycle. It is focused on educating young girls and women on the importance of menstrual hygiene management, so as to end deep-rooted taboos, myths and misinformation on menstruation in Nigeria. Several workshops have been held in different locations in Nigeria, from North to South and West Nigeria.

Project Description

In partnership with Sankin Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of Lady Care Sanitary Pads, Hope Spring Water Charity Foundation have organized several menstrual hygiene management (MHM) workshops in Nigerian schools. 

The first phase of the project was hosted in 2017, in 3 secondary schools and Ifako Community General Hospital in Lagos State, Nigeria and about 1000 pads were distributed. About 1500 women and girls participated in the first phase of the project.

The second phase of the project took place in Kano with about 200 participants from Fatimah International Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Kano State. 

Building on the success of the event in South-west and Northern Nigeria, Hope Spring Water took the Initiative to South-East Nigeria. The Initiative was held for the first time in South-East Nigeria in Enugu State and it was hosted by Community Secondary School Okpu Orba, in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State on 25th May 2018. The workshop was remarkable because it highlighted World Menstrual Hygiene Day, which is marked every May 25th globally.  

Workshop Impact

• Empowered and raised menstrual hygiene champions that will serve as change agents in their families, communities and states
• Improved awareness that menstruation is neither a disease nor a taboo, rather a blessing to womanhood
• Increased awareness of the importance of good hygienic practice while menstruating
• The early teenage girls who are yet to start menstruating were equipped with the information they need to be prepared for their first menstruation day.
• The culture of silence was broken as the student were able to open up and discuss menstruation
• The girls were taught to rise above myths and stigmas attached to menstruation and be proud of their menstrual cycle
• One of the teachers confessed that she never knew the right way to use a sanitary pad until the demonstration was made by the speaker.

Recognizing the negative impacts of silence around menstruation on millions of women and girls who see their monthly cycle, Hope Spring Water Charity Foundation set out to take action to break the silence and demystify some of the myths and taboos normally associated with menstruation.
Hope Spring Water Charity Foundation held menstrual hygiene management workshops in 10 schools across 5 locations in Nigeria to mark the 2019 Nenstrual Hygiene Day, themed; Its Time for Action. The revelations and feedbacks gathered from these workshops were overwhelming and buttresses the need for everyone, everywhere to join hands to end period poverty.

The schools engaged in the workshop and their locations are as listed below:
 Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
 Solid Rock International School, Lugbe, Abuja
 Federal Junior Secondary School, Sheda, Kwali, Abuja

The menstrual hygiene workshops at the federal Capital Territory, was held in two schools, and facilitated by 5 Hope Spring team members. The total number of participants from both schools were over 1,000, including teachers and non-teaching staff of the schools. 1,000 pads were distributed to participants. The key event highlights were the first menstruation experiences shared by students and their challenges in school, which the students mostly identified to be lack of a safe toilet and water to help them maintain their dignity during menstruation.