The Voices of Women and Children with Disabilities in Ghana (VOWACGhana), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the empowerment and well-being of women and children with disabilities, has successfully distributed essential personal hygiene packages to 120 young girls with special needs.
The distribution drive, part of VOWACGhana’s ongoing Dignity Kits Project, took place at two major special education institutions in the Volta Region: the Volta School for the Deaf and Blind and the Gbi Special School.
The exercise, held on Thursday, May 28, was to mark this year’s World Mentrual Hygiene Day, which was under the theme: “Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld”
The targeted intervention aimed at addressing the challenges of menstrual hygiene management and general personal care among girls with disabilities, who face unique challenges from a very tender age.
Unlike regular pupils, most of these girls start their basic education in specialised boarding schools, far away from the daily care and support of their parents.
During the visit, it became highly evident that the lack of basic hygiene kits is actively keeping these young girls out of the classroom.
Without sanitary pads and toiletries, many of the young boarders are forced to miss classes and isolate themselves in their dormitories to avoid embarrassment.
To restore their confidence and keep them in school, each of the 120 girls received a carefully curated “Dignity Kit” packed with vital items to promote health, hygiene, and self-esteem. The items included:
• Sanitary pads
• Underwear (Panties and under-shorts)
• Personal care cosmetics (Pomade and deodorant)
• Hygiene essentials (Bathing soap, washing soap, toothpaste, and toothbrushes)
• Nutritional support (Kivo gari)
Speaking during the distribution, the Programmes Manager of VOWACGhana, Patience Atipoka Atuah, emphasised that menstruation and personal hygiene should never be a barrier to a girl’s education, especially for young boarders with disabilities who have no immediate parental safety net at school.
While receiving the items with immense gratitude, authorities at the beneficiary schools seized the opportunity to highlight a major structural bottleneck affecting the dignity of the students.
The school management made a passionate appeal to VOWACGhana, the government, and corporate bodies for the construction of a modern toilet facility. Currently, the students rely on old pit latrines (KVIP) .
School officials lamented that the KVIP facility is unhygienic and highly inconvenient, presenting a daily struggle and safety hazard for children with special needs, particularly those with visual impairments and physical challenges who must navigate the pits without proper guidance or accessible structures.
VOWACGhana has called on the public, corporate organisations, and philanthropists to partner with them to help construct modern, accessible, and disability-friendly toilet facilities for these schools to ensure the girls’ dignity is fully preserved.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
