Tongu: A volunteer-led menstrual health initiative by the Gender and Reproductive Health Advocacy Youth Network (GRAY Network), with support from the STAR-Ghana Foundation, has significantly improved school attendance, confidence, and dignity among adolescent girls in the South Tongu and Central Tongu districts of the Volta Region.
According to Ghana News Agency, the intervention was implemented under the Strengthening Volunteer-Led Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), and Life Skills Education in Schools and Communities Project. It benefited girls in Atsieve, Lakpo, and Avakpedome Basic Schools. Mr. Godsway Mensah, Programme Manager of GRAY Network, noted that the project aimed to address barriers to girls' education by providing reusable sanitary pads, menstrual hygiene education, and community sensitization to ensure menstruation no longer prevented girls from attending school.
Mr. Mensah explained that community volunteers were mobilized and trained to lead menstrual hygiene management activities in the beneficiary communities. They trained local seamstresses to produce washable reusable sanitary pads, distributed menstrual hygiene kits to 69 vulnerable girls, established School Health Clubs, trained peer educators, and engaged teachers, parents, boys, and community leaders through community outreach and radio discussions. The awareness campaign reached over 1,350 people in the beneficiary communities.
Beneficiaries expressed that the intervention transformed their lives by restoring confidence and enabling them to remain in school during their menstrual periods. Miss Emmanuella and Miss Gloria shared that prior to receiving reusable sanitary pads, they relied on rags and tissue paper, causing embarrassment and missed classes. The reusable pads allowed them to attend school regularly, participate in lessons, and complete Junior High School.
Madam Celestine Sewoenam Korsi-Agordo, South Tongu District Director of Education, highlighted that many girls previously missed classes due to poverty and lack of sanitary products. The project improved attendance, classroom participation, and academic performance while reducing financial burdens on vulnerable families. Madam Xorsenyo Agbenyefia, Girls' Child Coordinator at Lakpo D/A Basic School, observed greater confidence among girls attending school without fear of embarrassment during menstruation.
Mr. James Sadekla, Headteacher of Lakpo D/A Basic School, described the transformation as remarkable, noting that the initiative restored dignity and improved girls' participation in academics and extracurricular activities. Mr. Seth Fiagorme, South Tongu District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, commended the initiative for enhancing girls' health, confidence, education access, dignity, and social inclusion.
Reaffirming its commitment to empowering adolescent girls, GRAY Network plans to collaborate with government institutions, development partners, schools, traditional authorities, and local communities to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, strengthen menstrual hygiene management, and support girls through volunteerism. The organization emphasized ensuring no girl is denied education due to menstruation while contributing to national efforts for quality education, gender equality, and improved reproductive health outcomes.
The GNA observed that the project encouraged positive behavioral change among boys through volunteer-led School Health Clubs and peer education sessions, reducing stigma associated with menstruation and creating a more supportive school environment. Parents reported that reusable sanitary pads reduced household expenses, encouraged open discussions on menstrual health, and protected girls from vulnerabilities linked to the inability to afford sanitary products.