Hope Ability Empowerment Initiative, (HAEI) a Non-Government Organization, (NGO) that aims at improving the quality of life of Persons with Disabilities, their parents, and other vulnerable groups, has stepped in to sensitize and give orientation to some 70 students with disabilities on the subject of sexuality and menstrual hygiene in Calabar, Cross River State.
In a chat with our correspondent on Tuesday 22 February after the event, Chief Executive Director of HAEI, Martina Ongbonya Ntino opened up on her growing experience as a young lady without knowledge of sexuality and menstrual hygiene. She recalls how she had no idea of one day experiencing blood flow from the genitals. Then, she was totally ignorant on the use of, and changing of pads.
Such experience, Martina says prompted her to organize the event to train and sensitize children with disabilities on the issue, thus making life easier for them.
Speaking further, Martina noted that for a Person with Special Needs – a deaf girl for example, it will be extra difficult to understand much of these issues because of communication gap.
Students with disabilities
She says her NGO is working closely with these girls to ensure they are well equipped with necessary information about their bodies.
According to her, “if you don’t take care of your genitals, it can lead to infertility, infections and other forms of diseases. I don’t want these girls to have my kind of experience.”
Ntino called on the State minister of health to support the girl child, move closer to them by organizing visits to their schools to create awareness on sexuality and menstrual hygiene rather than look from the distance.
She also tasked the Ministry to consider incorporating into the curriculum regular teaching schedules for these special students on the subject of sexuality. Menstrual pads should be distributed and follow ups consistently done.
Ntino went on to task the ministry on the issue of communication barrier prevalent among Deaf students. She advised: “Where communicating with the students poses a challenge, the services of sign language Interpreters should be engaged to overcome it.”
Martina says HAEI is willing to collaborate with the ministry to assist in training and distribution of menstrual pads in special schools across Cross River State.
Also present at the event was Dr. Kelechi Uhegbu, a pediatrician with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) and a lecturer at the University of Calabar. Dr. Uhegbu enlightened the students on the importance of monitoring signs of maturity in their bodies. For example, the growing of hairs in the armpits and development of breasts.
She admonished students with disabilities to avoid anything that could cause negative effects on their bodies and future.
The event which featured distribution of Bibles, teaching and demonstration on how to use menstrual pads, drama presentation on social justice and distribution of IEC materials, had over 70 students with disabilities (both gender) in attendance. They included the deaf, students with intellectual disabilities, down syndrome, multiple disabilities, etc.