The Centre for Teens Health and Development (Centre4Teens), has launched a transformative project aimed at empowering girls and women, particularly those in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, Persons with Disabilities, PWDs, and rural communities across Abuja.
The initiative, which focuses on education and reproductive health, provides crucial training on topics such as building healthy boundaries, self esteem, mental health and how it affects academic performance, menstrual health and hygiene management through the training and distribution of reusable pads.
The Founder Centre4teens, Morenikejimi Olaniran, explained that many women and girls lack basic necessities, including underwear.
To address this, Centre4teens introduced “dignity kits” containing underwear, bathing soap, washing soap, and toothpaste to ensure holistic hygiene support.
The project, which has already reached five communities, is set to expand to 18 communities across Abuja’s six area councils.
One of the key components of the project is teaching women how to make reusable sanitary pads, which not only promotes better menstrual health but also offers economic empowerment as participants can sell the pads to support themselves.
Morenikejimi believes that by providing women with the right information and skills, the project will significantly reduce teenage pregnancies and help break the cycle of poverty.
Also speaking, Public Relations Officer in the community, Ibrahim Sagir thanked the NGO for their support; He beckoned on other stakeholders, NGO, to emulate them
One of the volunteers with the Centre, Patience Ukange, shared that the organization is currently teaching 100 ladies on how to make reusable sanitary pads, empowering them not only to manage their own menstrual health but also to create and sell the pads, offering financial independence and protection from abuse for women with disabilities.
A beneficiary of the program, Grace Zela, while expressing her gratitude to the initiative, highlighted how learning to make reusable sanitary pads will not only help women with disabilities manage their menstrual health but also create an opportunity for them to generate income by selling the pads, offering financial independence in a challenging economic climate.
The initiative, which was funded by the NextWorldNow Community Investment Grant 2024, focuses on personal empowerment, the project aims to equip women with the tools to make informed decisions about their health, well-being, and future.