PadBank team posed with the Students, and Teachers during the Padbank Mobile Outreach Programme on Tuesday.
By Ita Williams, Calabar
The drive to improve menstrual health and end period poverty among young girls in Cross River State is gathering momentum, with Padbank Mobile Outreach leading renewed advocacy for long-term solutions.
The local NGO is championing increased investment and stakeholder partnerships aimed at expanding access to menstrual hygiene resources and empowering adolescent girls across communities.
The advocacy drive was carried out on Tuesday during the 8th edition of the Padbank Mobile Outreach held at Government Secondary School, Nyaghasang, in Calabar Municipality.
The programme directly impacted more than 170 students through the distribution of over 180 sanitary pads and health education sessions.
Experts have continued to identify period poverty as a major challenge affecting school attendance, self-esteem and the overall wellbeing of girls, especially in low-income communities.
Addressing participants, Elizabeth Awatt, Special Adviser to the Wife of the Governor on Political Affairs, underscored the importance of partnerships in addressing menstrual health challenges.
She described access to sanitary products as a necessity rather than a privilege and urged stakeholders to support initiatives targeted at vulnerable girls.
Awatt also donated sanitary materials to strengthen the outreach and encourage its sustainability.
She praised Padbank’s consistent advocacy and community-based interventions aimed at restoring dignity to young girls.
The outreach, which has continued to expand since its inception in August 17, 2025, combined menstrual health education, and Sanitary Pad distribution to over 2400 adolescent girls aged between 12-18.
The event also features menstrual health advice designed to promote healthy menstrual practices.
Mrs. Boma John Solomon, Principal of the school, said the programme came at a crucial time for many students who often face economic barriers to accessing menstrual products.
She explained that the intervention would help improve attendance and participation among female students.
Comrade Archibong Bassey, a kind hearted first female Chairman of the Cross River State Council of the NUJ, who is the initiator of the Padbank Mobile Outreach noted that education should never be interrupted because of menstrual challenges.
She encouraged the students to apply the knowledge gained during the programme and remain committed to their studies.
Facilitator Comrade Victoria Omini, who is also a Journalist rounded off the event with practical demonstrations on menstrual hygiene, nutrition, proper pad usage and safe disposal methods, leaving participants better informed and empowered.
