As part of its humanitarian services, the District 9141 of the Rotary International has embarked on the training of 2,000 girls on the production of reusable menstrual pads.
The Governor of District 9141, Rotarian Andy Uwejeyan, stated this during a Mid Year press conference at the Press Centre of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital on Saturday.
According to the District Governor, District 9141 is made up of four states namely: Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers.
Uwejeyan noted that out of the targeted 2,000 girls selected for training across the four states, 500 had been successfully trained.
He pointed out that the objective of Rotary is built around what he termed seven areas of focus which include: peace and conflict resolution, fight against deceases, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, economic empowerment and environment.
The district governor hinted that many humanitarian projects had been carried out under his watch till date one of which is empowerment of the girl child through Pad the Girl Project, noting that a pilot scheme had begun in Port Harcourt with 500 girls trained on reusable menstrual pad production.
“The girls, particularly in the rural areas and the urban slum, have challenges with their periods because they don’t have the ability to take proper care of themselves because of poverty and lack of knowledge on how to go about it.
“We have recognized that and we have decided that we are going to train 2,000 girls. We started with a pilot training of 500 girls in Port Harcourt.
“These girls are trained so that the problem associated with menstrual hygiene will become minimal. Those 2,000 girls are going to be trained and equipped so that they can as well train other girls at the end of the day,” said.
He further revealed that District 9141 was committed to establishing a dialysis centre in each of the four states in collaboration with two international agencies, adding that the first one would begin in Delta state even as the governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa had donated a land to that effect.
Uwejeyan also revealed that there was plan to establish a Rotary Foundation centre and botanical garden in Asaba, Delta state, noting that the governor of Bayelsa state, Senator Douye Diri had also approved a vast land to Rotary for a similar project, hoping that same would be replicated in Rivers and Edo states.
He stressed that Rotary was set to establish micro credit scheme for the poorest of the poor in the area, pointing out that Rotary was also concerned about membership drive, which he described as its number one internal priority.
The governor added that though there was no discrimination to intending Rotatarians, those wanting to join must be persons with impeccable character and integrity with defined sources of livelihood.
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