The First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun has commenced the distribution of 10,000 free sanitary pads to schoolgirls as part of the Renewed Hope Initiative programme of the Wife of the President, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu.

The event, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, marked the national launch of the “Flow With Confidence” campaign, themed “Empowering School Girls Through Menstrual Health.”

Ogun State First Lady stated that the initiative aimed to promote menstrual hygiene, dignity, and confidence among schoolgirls across the country, stressing that no girl should lose focus or miss school due to her inability to afford sanitary products.

“Some girls resort to using unsafe and unhygienic alternatives, while others stay at home, fall behind in their studies, and sometimes drop out altogether. This trend must end, and this intervention under the education framework of the Renewed Hope Initiative is aimed at doing just that.”

Mrs. Abiodun explained that under RHI programme, over 10,000 packs of disposable sanitary pads for distribution to 10,000 deserving girls in rural communities across Ogun State, with a total of 370,000 distributed to schoolgirls in rural communities across the country.

Giving each beneficiary  one-year supply of pads to offer a simple, hygienic option that supports women’s reproductive health, Mrs. Abiodun urged beneficiaries not to sell the pads but to “stay in school, study hard, support one another, and never allow shame or stigma to take away their confidence.”

She also appealed to traditional, religious, and community leaders to assist in monitoring the distribution process and guiding girls to grow into responsible, informed adults.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, commended Senator Tinubu for her various empowerment initiatives under the Renewed Hope Initiatives, covering agriculture, education, and women’s empowerment. He also appreciated Mrs. Abiodun for ensuring Ogun residents benefit from federal programmes.

Also, the former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaja Salmot Badru, lauded Senator Tinubu and Mrs. Abiodun for their unflinching support for their husbands and for ensuring that the dividends of democracy reached all citizens.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Praise Omonipo of Gateway Secondary School, Ita Iyalode, Abeokuta North, and Oluwapelumi Okewole of Yewa College, Yewa South, thanked the First Lady and the Ogun State Government for the donation, saying the supply would relieve their parents of the monthly financial burden of buying sanitary pads.