Sierra Leone : SWSG ,Beauties with Brains partnership donates sanitary pads to girls in Kroo Bay Community
April 28, 2020
By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma
Strong Women Strong Girls Sierra Leone
(SWSG-SL) , in collaboration with Beauties with Brains Organisation, has on Saturday 25th April embarked
on a sensitization and donation of sanitary pads to young girls in the Kroo Bay community in Freetown.
The
donated items include 60pads, perfume, shaving sticks and pants and
pads disposal bags was distributed to young
girls between the age of 10 and 19yrs.
Speaking during the engagement and donation
ceremony, Mariatu Kabba Co-Founder and
Executive Director of SWSG-SL said her
organisation together with Beauty with brain decided to embark on the
sensitization and distribution of sanitary pads around the Kroo Bay community
was to reach out to girls , to teach them about the effect of early sex and the
negative effect of teenage pregnancy stating that as it
is Coronavirus time girls are at home
and that they are vulnerable to sexual
and gender-based violence thus the need to reach out to them.
“we have to give them some talk on how they
can prevent themselves on teenage pregnancy as well as help them by giving out
to them sanitary pads because these are some of the small things that men used
to lure them and do bad things against them,’’ she said.
She added that during the sensitization , they
didn’t only talk to the young girls but also to their care givers , as to their
roles in making sure that their girl
child was safe from COVID-19 and teenage
pregnancy.
“This is very timely , under normal circumstances, girl child goes through a lot , the resources
aren’t really available for them . Girl child usually finds it difficult to
purchase or buy sanitary pads and instead resorts to using old piece of clothes
which is not hygienic for them which they can contract diseases from, ’’Mariatu
explained.
Kabba went to on to say , even under normal
circumstances , they are liable to sexual and gender-based violence(SGBV) thus
stating that not to talk of the present health situation, compounded with the
economic and social stress it will be difficult for them to cope hence the need for the sensitization and to give out
to them what they can afford.
The SWSG founder further said as a youth-female led organization in the
country their aim is strengthening the socioeconomic status of
women and girls and providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to be
successful in life through mentorship, skills training and awareness raising
campaigns.
“This would aid them to contribute meaningfully to social change and
build a sustainable and healthy society,’’ the SWSG
founder lamented.
On her part , Janet Hawa Koroma , Managing
Director of Beauties With Brains Organisation said her organisation has been
working in slum communities and in the streets with their monthly girls on period campaign, a campaign they have been doing in slum
communities for adolescent girls in the
country adding they were partnering with SWSG to do the sanitary pads donations
in the Kroo Bay Community.
She encouraged the young girls to take care
of themselves especially during their menstrual cycle and to take care of their
menstrual pads and to dispose them off to an appropriate place safely.
One of the beneficiaries, Kadiatu
Bundu , said the sanitary pads were good to protect them as women during their
menstrual cycle, thus expressing appreciation to SWSG and Beauty for their timely
donation and sensitization on teenage pregnancy during this Covid-19 period.
