A non-Governmental Organisation, Centre for Health, Ethics, Law, and Development has said its support for internally displaced persons in Abuja would help them in the production of reusable pads for the internally displaced women and girls.
The founder of CHELD, Prof Cheluchi Onyemelukwe, disclosed this, according to a statement on Saturday, during a visit to New Kichigoro, Durumi and Kamajiji IDP camps, in the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.
Onyemelukwe added that the NGO had traversed Abuja in support of people finding solace at IDP camps, noting that the training offered would enhance the sexual reproductive rights of internally displaced women and girls, and reduce their susceptibility to diseases and illnesses.
She said, “Our passion is to improve the lives of families at IDP camps that are abandoned and forgotten by relevant authorities. It is our desire to fill that gap in their lives and make them realise that the society still cares for them.
“We are embarking on a series of menstrual hygiene outreaches that focus on educating young women on what to do during their menstrual cycles and teaching them how to produce their own reusable sanitary pads at no cost.
“This is meant to discourage the use of unsafe materials during their menstrual cycles. Mentorship and education programmes are provided by experts on health, law, and civil rights to boost their confidence and improve their understanding of hygiene because Nigeria’s IDP camps are often untidy and unhygienic, exposing women to various forms of diseases.”
The NGO founder lamented that at the New Kuchgoro, toilets were not functional and open defecation was the new normal.
She noted that there was no functional health service as the makeshift clinic was no longer in use and the nurse who usually visited every week was no more coming.
