The implementation of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene module of the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project by the WaterAid Ghana, has improved menstrual hygiene among young adolescent girls at Gowrie, a farming community in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region.The project since its implementation in 2024 has had lots of positive impacts, particularly focusing on environmental sustainability, cost effectiveness and improved health and hygiene for menstruating girls.Speaking to journalists during an assessment tour of the three-year project being implemented in many communities in Bongo, a Health teacher at the Gowrie-Tingre D/A Junior High School (JHS), Mrs Rebecca Akadoore, commended the international not-for-profit making organisation for the initiative.According to her, the introduction of the reusable sanitary pads to the school pupils had helped reduce absenteeism amongst female pupils in the school."Schoolchildren, I mean the girls no longer stay at home because they are menstruating.
Classes are not interrupted either, thanks to WaterAid Ghana," Mrs Akadoore told pressmen in an interview.She further brought to light that: "The girls have these reusable sanitary pads in their bags, and when it becomes necessary, they just go to the washroom to change".She particularly mentioned that a series of education being embarked by the organisation did not only target the females, but the males as well.With the vigorous education, male pupils, she indicated, had virtually stopped teasing their female counterparts who were on their menses, hence contributing significantly to the reduction of stigmatisation.Louisa Akanobre, a JHS pupil of the school, told journalists she had garnered a lot of education on menstrual hygiene, and never felt shy when she was menstruating."We (adolescent girls) have been trained to wash our panties and dry them in the sun regularly because of bacteria infection." I have learnt that when we are in our menstruating period, we should bath two times a day, wash our reusable sanitary pads and dry them in the sun", she disclosed excitedly.WaterAid Ghana has been involved in implementing various WASH projects across the Upper East Region, with a focus on attaining universal and sustainable access to the essential services.Apart from the SHARE project, a consortium project being implemented by the organisation alongside the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), Ghana Chapter, Right to Play (the lead implementer), with technical assistance from FHI 360, WaterAid Ghana has a comprehensive five-year strategy (2023-2028) that outlines its vision for sustainable and inclusive WASH services.Communication and Media Manager for WaterAid Ghana, Akosua Kwafo Ogyiri, told The Ghanaian Times that the organisation was so desirous in helping Ghana to attain goal six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which focused on ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all by the year 2030.Jerry Anaba Nyaaba, Secretary to the WASH and the Water and Sanitation Management Team (WSMT) at the Asaloko community in the Bongo District, lauded WaterAid Ghana for the implementation of the Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) initiative, stating that "This community is the cleanest community in Bongo.
When the initiative was introduced to us, we took it seriously." FROM FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, GOWRIE
