Beauty queen advocates menstrual hygiene for adolescent girls

As part of an effort aimed at reducing infectious diseases that could be contracted when old rags are used during menstruation, crowned queen of the Face of Niger-Delta Cultural Pageant, (FONDCUP), Kasi Usani, has urged stakeholders in the Niger-Delta region to back her project that seek to address the issue.

Speaking during the official unveiling of the FONDCUP pageantry face to the media recently, Usani whose pet project is ‘Save the girl-child-hygiene’, said menstrual hygiene and education have become very essential for adolescent girls, hence the need to champion the cause to effect a positive change.

She added that the adolescent girls could contract infection due to poor hygiene. According to her, “girls in the rural communities disrupt their school schedule and absenteeism because they feel uncomfortable when observing their menstrual circle.

Usani, who is also a kindness ambassador, said she intended to take her campaign round the nine states of the Niger Delta region in order to curb the used of foams and rags during menstrual periods.

Sad enough, she observed that some of them used banana leaves, cartons and Ankara materials as protection during the monthly circle, which she said is very unhealthy.

She added, “I plan to carry out this advocacy through an enlightenment initiative where I would have to teach them how to use sanitary pads and equally distribute it to them. We need to break the silence on menstruation. There are cases where some girls miss school because they do not have money to buy pads. So many resolved to using foam and any kind of wrapper they can lay their hands on.

Continuing, she added: “my passion is to advocate for the nine Niger-Delta communities on reproductive health especially on menstrual hygiene. I want adolescent girls to have quality health services. If the government and the private sector can support my dream by providing sanitary towels for these females during my reign as the queen, it would go a long way of impacting and touching lives.”

In her speech, the convener of the initiative,

Elizabeth Era, said the FONDCUP Pageantry has changed the face of beauty pageantry, as it is aimed at effecting a positive change on societal view about pageantry and equally promote our Cultural heritage.”

Era added that the three faces of FONDCUP has been empowered.

Each of them, she explained, was been given a pet project to work on. Kasi Usani – Crowned Queen and Grace Ekrakene – 2nd runner up would work together in order to bring about synergy, for FONDCUP Magazine project. Faith Iguodala Etinosasere – first runner up would focus on tourist attractions and hub in the area, which would be showcased and aired as documentary.

President of the World Kindness Initiative, Steven Onyemah said they had to support the initiative in order to empower younger girls.

He urged the government of the region to support the save the girls hygiene project to promote female reproductive health.

“The World Kindness Initiative Nigeria has been involved in several initiatives in Nigeria; These include; visiting orphanage homes, during the 2018 World Kindness Day, the World Kindness Initiative Nigeria fed over 500 beggars on the Street of Lagos.

According to him, “we engage in discussions, symposia and seminars, geared towards having kinder nations, bring back the virtues of good neighbourliness which is fast becoming outdated in the societies.

He said we wish to set up Kinder World TV programmes to showcase rare acts of kindness and inspire acts of kindness in the society.

He added that we have a dream of having a Kindness Village, with schools, vocational centers, and health centers.