By Yunus S Saliu
The Comprehensive Health Education (CHE) project under the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE) in partnership with the Girls’ Pride Gambia Tuesday, May 28 commemorated the Menstrual Hygiene Day characterized by Funneh Board Game Inter-School Competition on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management (MHHM).
The commemoration of this day was held at the Education Region 1 Office, Kanifing and it brought together different participants which included 20 schools – Upper Basic and Senior Secondary Schools participated in the competition.
In a brief remark, Fatoumatta Jabbi-Kassama, Founder and CEO of Girls’ Pride highlighted that Menstrual Health and Hygiene Day is observed annually on May 28 to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene management and as well to break the stigma surrounding menstruation.
She dilated on the reason for choosing May 28 worldwide for the celebration.
Fatou Cham Bittaye, in her opening remark, welcomed everyone especially the contested students from the participating schools to the commemoration of the day characterized by an inter-school Funneh Board Game Competition.
She said the Funneh Board Game came at a very right time when the curriculum directorate was doing curriculum reforms into a competency-based curriculum, noting that when the CREDD went through the content and rules of the game, they discovered that it fits into the new competency-based curriculum.
Explaining that the new curriculum is looking at 21st-century skills, and going through the game, it is promoting skills like collaborative skills, and playing the game there is a need for collaboration, communication skills, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, teamwork and all these promote the 21st-century skills and as well part of the competency-based curriculum.
Phebian Ina Grant-Sagnia, Principal Investigator for the Comprehensive Health Education (CHE) Project expressed that the commemoration was organized to further create awareness of menstrual health and hygiene management to break the stigma surrounding menstruation and encourage dialogue to promote the use of reusable sanitary pads.
Also, on this day, she continued that they unite to create a period-friendly world under this year’s theme – together for a period-friendly world, which reminds us that change happens when joining forces. Saying, menstrual health is a human issue affecting everyone, whether directly or indirectly, and it’s high time to break the stigma, ensure access to menstrual products, and educate everyone about menstruation and its health implications.
The Principal Investigator went on that menstruation is a natural part of life, yet it is often surrounded by silence and stigma, and many people, women have experienced this silence as well as the stigma associated with it.
Meanwhile, she thanked everyone saying they are collaborating for change and real change requires teamwork.
However, presiding over the celebration, Momodou Jeng, Director of Curriculum Research Evaluation and Development Directorate (CREDD) under the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, noted the importance of the event saying it is also part of the recycling project that the ministry has for schools in Region One on Comprehensive Health Education program.
He added that organizing this kind of event in collaboration with partners in the same field is a critical factor in terms of mobilizing resources together to address common challenges, especially in addressing the issue of Comprehensive Health Education which has been a problem in the country for a long time.
The director of CREDD expressed gladness on the project for being able to work together with different partners and ministries while thanking supporters and partners especially the Girls’ Pride for collaborating with Comprehensive Health Education under the MOBSE, while in advance congratulating the winning schools.
Lamin Camara from the UNFPA appreciated the involvement of the boys and girls participating in the Funneh Board Game Competition, saying it is a good collaboration.
Talking about menstrual hygiene, he said the partnership has to go down to the community level, and school levels, while also advocating for women and girls to have access to three things – sanitary products, information, and girls/women-friendly toilets in schools.
The winners of the Funneh Boards Games on MHHM on UBS category are New Covenant UBS who had emerged 1st while St. Joseph’s and Abuko UBS came 2nd and 3rd respectively, and in the Senior School category – Baptist SSS came 1st, Ndows and Kotu grabbed 2nd and 3rd positions respectively while all winning schools got winning prizes of T-shirts, Bags, Hand Sanitizer, Reusable Sanitary Pads, and Educational Materials.
Among the organizations present at the commemoration/competition were UNFPA, Comprehensive Health Education funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) in Canada, Girls’ Pride, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, different schools, teachers, members of the community, and media
