Players of Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Championship side, Naija Ratels FC on Friday donated Menstrual hygiene kits, relief materials and football kits to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Abagena Camp in Benue State.
The players, technical crew and staff of the NWFL Championship team carried out the visit to the IDPs as part of it’s charity outreach activities and were all seen in a happy mood as they interacted with the Internally Displaced Persons.
Menstrual hygiene is one of the neglected health and hygiene issues surrounding the rights of vulnerable girls and women in camps built for internally displaced Persons (IDPs) and for hundreds of these women and girls living in the IDP camps, this natural monthly occurrence could be very disruptive.
For these reasons, the players of the Nigeria Women Football League side, Naija Ratels deemed it fit to donate relief materials and sanitary pads to the under privileged females in the internally displaced People’s Camp.
Donating the items, Team Manager of the side, Iorsue Kuhwa and Captain, Paulina Ali said the reason behind the gesture was to support young girls in the camp who cannot afford to buy pad for their monthly period.
According to them, it was observed that young girls and women in IDP Camps resort to the use of pieces of cloths or tissues for their monthly periods.
“We learnt how young girls and women in this IDPs Camp go through alot during their monthly periods and how some girls stay away from school going into isolation when they menstruating because of stigmatisation by their male peers”; Paulina Ali said.
Also reacting, the team manager said; “So as a team, we thought and decided we could help out in our own little way, so today we donated about 15 Cartons of Sanitary Pads, four bags of rice and some kits for the girls and women here.
“I believe it’s high time we teach young girls and women in IDP Camps about Menstrual health and hygiene. This awareness will create more confidence amongst these girls and there will be no shame when experiencing their Menstrual period, which is natural for every woman.” He concluded.
The assistant Camp Commandant, Solomon Azulo expressed appreciation for the gesture on behalf of the girls and women in the camp.
“It is a great honour to receive these menstrual hygiene kits and other relief materials on behalf of the young girls in the camp.
“This is a great gesture and am sure Naija Ratels did this just because they care about the Girl-Child.
“We are grateful and hope other teams, groups and bodies will always remember us here.” He concluded.
Naija Ratels is an NWFL Championship team based in Abuja and owned by renowned Philanthropist, Barrister Paul Edeh.
