THE ministries of health, education and sport, as well as the National Youth Service, have joined AfriYan’s free-flow campaign to provide sanitary pads to disadvantaged girls in Kavango East.
African Youth and Adolescents Network (AfriYan), a non-profit organisation which aims to increase meaningful youth participation in Africa’s development, started the initiative last year when they handed out 2 000 sanitary pads in the Omaheke region.
AfriYan president Ashwell Forbes said during a signing ceremony between the government and the organisation on Friday that they will distribute 3 000 sanitary pads to young girls in Kavango East.
He said the sanitary pads will be in packs which also contain soap, and will be distributed on 28 May, menstrual hygiene day.
“Kavango East is a very neglected region. There are still a lot of young people, between the ages of 10 and 19, who are severely affected in terms of HIV, new infections and abuse,” Forbes stated, adding that they hope to also reach the Zambezi region before the end of this year.
The free flow campaign aims to restore the dignity of girls who cannot afford sanitary pads every month.
“It is more than just buying a pad for these young girls. It is also restoring the dignity of a girl who cannot go to school because she cannot buy pads,” he added.
Education executive director Sanet Steenkamp said there are many young girls who do not attend school when they are on their periods because they cannot afford sanitary towels.
“Many of the girls, regrettably, without celebrating becoming a young woman, are left scared, anxious and embarrassed on how to move forward,” she observed.
Steenkamp said if children are not educated on what is happening to their bodies, it leads to a state of despair and anxiety.
“Menstrual blood is seen as being harmful, while we know that it is not. So, it is regrettable that many times, discussions of reproductive sexual health and issues of comprehensive sexual education are left to teachers who sometimes do not feel well- equipped to handle them, unless they had the proper training to talk about these critical matters,” she continued.
She thus urged parents, teachers and guardians to prioritise providing sanitary products for children on their grocery lists.
Executive director of youth Emma Kantema-Gaomas said men and boys need to be included in discussions pertaining to to create normalcy, and foster a supporting environment for women and girls.
She added that cultural beliefs and a lack of access to information leave young girls vulnerable in the regions where pregnancy rates are high.
In collaboration with the Namibia Planned Parenthood Association (Nappa), the ministry operates youth-friendly health clinics in the Kavango East, Zambezi and Ohangwena regions.
The executive chairperson of the National Youth Council, Mandela Kapere, at the event personally pledged N$1 000 towards the initiative, and said it is important that as a country, more discussions should be held on young women.
“We know that there are still harmful cultural practices that affect our girl-child and young women; and there are still practices of child marriage where very young women who are supposed to be in school become wives,” he stated.
Kapere said there are challenges young people face, such as their sexual orientation, which, if not discussed, could lead to depression or suicide.
“As a society, we are still closed about many issues which have to do with sexuality, sexual orientation and the sexual reproductive health of our young women,” he continued.
Young people should thus have access to family planning services, and there should be a focus on simultaneous prevention and treatment strategies, he said.
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