THE YALI Network Edo, under the leadership of Coordinator Chinye Patrick-Biose, successfully held the World Menstrual Hygiene Day program at Oredo Girls Secondary School, Sapele Road, Benin City, Edo State.
The event was organized in partnership with the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, the World Health Organization (WHO) Edo State, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Office Edo State, and the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
It was proudly sponsored by the Edo State Government through the Honorable Members representing Oredo East and Oredo West Constituencies in the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Uyi Omosigho and Hon. Richard Edosa.
The program began with a warm welcome address by the school’s principal, Mrs Adesuwa Uwaifo. This was followed by an opening remark from the YALI Network Edo Coordinator, who highlighted the importance of commemorating Menstrual Hygiene Day.
She encouraged the students to embrace their menstrual cycles with pride rather than shame and emphasized the need for awareness, education, and dignity around menstrual health.
She then introduced the YALI-trained health practitioners, Nurse Oreoluwa Aiyemonase (Deputy Coordinator) and Precious Akhile who delivered an informative and engaging health talk. Representatives from the SDG Edo office and the Nigerian Red Cross also delivered goodwill messages, expressing support for continued health education and community engagement.
In a key milestone, YALI Network Edo, in collaboration with the SDG office, officially launched a school-based SDG Club initiative. This marks a significant step towards increasing youth involvement and inclusivity in the promotion and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The event also featured a hands-on workshop on reusable sanitary pads facilitated by Favour Oko. She demonstrated practical, affordable methods for making comfortable reusable pads, promoting sustainability and accessibility. The students were highly interactive, asking several questions, and were given hygiene guide pamphlets to reinforce their learning.
The program concluded with a closing remark from the Coordinator. This was followed by group photographs and the presentation of donated items by the YALI Edo Executive Team, including sanitary materials for the students and books provided by SDG partners.
The principal expressed heartfelt gratitude for the donations and the impactful session, and she shared some of the school’s recent student achievements.
