To mark International Women’s Day, Cross River Jewels, a socio-political group renowned for its humanitarian and women’s empowerment initiatives distributed sanitary pads to 1,000 students across five secondary schools in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State.
Comr. Precious Besong, Director General of the association and her team successfully distributed sanitary pads, providing students with a three-month supply of menstrual products across Government Secondary School – Barracks Road, Government Secondary School – State Housing, Government Technical School – Mayne Avenue, Government Secondary School – TTC- Ikot Ansa, and Government Secondary School – Atu, all in Calabar.
According to the organizers, the initiative was born out of a desire to alleviate the financial and emotional struggles many young girls face during their monthly cycles. The group said that the high cost of monthly sanitary products often forces young female students to choose between their health and their education.
“The pads are expected to serve each student for three months, supporting the young girls in pursuing their academic goals without interruption or stress,” the group stated.
The outreach went beyond material distribution, featuring comprehensive talk sessions on personal hygiene best practices for maintaining cleanliness during menstrual cycles, foundational health education on body confidence and academic consistency; encouraging the girls to stay in school regardless of their monthly flow.
The impact of the Cross River Jewels campaign resonated far beyond the state borders. The project’s pre-event publicity caught the attention of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who lauded the young women for their initiative and provided financial support to ensure the project’s success.
The group noted that this outreach is a core part of their “routine commitment” to uplifting the girl child in the region, ensuring that no student is left behind due to a lack of basic menstrual necessities.
In a heartwarming display of gratitude, students took turns praising the organizers for providing the relief. They expressed appreciation for the Association’s timely support.
Speaking in a telephone interview, an elated Precious Besong described the event as one of her proudest moments. “Seeing these young girls so excited is wonderful,” she said, noting that it has become an annual ritual for the Cross River Jewels to support communities.
Besong shared a special note of appreciation to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. “Even though she is not from Cross River, she recognized the need and sent financial support to bolster our efforts. I thank her sincerely; may the Almighty Lord continue to bless her,” Besong added.
