Bauchi NAWOJ trains adolescent girls on sanitary hygiene education

Segun Babatunde Awofadeji, Bauchi

About 40 selected Adolescent Girls have been trained and sensitised on sanitary hygiene education by the Bauchi State chapter of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ).

The  one-day sensitisation training for the adolescent girls aged 14 to 18 years was organised on how to make them navigate their adolescent ages particularly hygiene health education.

The training which was held at the Palace of the Village Head of Tirwun in Bauchi Local Government Area Tuesday, was organised in partnership with the Bauchi Field Office (BFO) of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in celebration of the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) with the theme: Accelerate Action.

NAWOJ Chairperson, Hajiya Rashida Yusuf in her welcome address, stated that the Association chose the village and the participants considering the importance of hygiene education among adolescent girls.

She added that NAWOJ is committed to ensuring good health for adolescent girls in order to have a healthy society considering that women are the greatest asset of home building.

Rashida Yusuf commended the Traditional Ruler of the area for agreeing to allow NAWOJ hold the training in the area and within the palace stating that it was a sign of supporting the initiative.

According to her, “The participants of the training were adolescent girls aged 14 to 18 years. These are the most vulnerable group in the community, their hygiene education is very important, that was the reason we chose them.”

In her health talk to the adolescent girls , Murjanatu Mohammed stressed the importance of hygiene among women particularly adolescent girls stressing that they need to be hygienic as females.

The Health Worker stressed that during the period of menstrual flow, the adolescent girls need to take care in order to avoid infections that are associated with the period.

She suggested to the adolescent girls to adopt the use of reusable sanitary pad which is cheaper than the normal pads adding that they should also use the salt and ash solution in order to keep clean, healthy and hygienic.

Also speaking, another health worker, Hauwa Mohammed taught the adolescent girls how to maintain hygienic posture while undergoing the menstrual flow stressing that it is not a disease but natural.

She also took them through the process of making the reusable sanitary pads in the comfort of their homes without going through any stress and in the process, save money that would have been used to buy the normal pads.

Hauwa Mohammed told the adolescent girls not to keep the reusable sanitary pads for more than Three months no matter how good it is looking in order to avoid infections.

In his remarks Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad Tirwun commended NAWOJ for choosing the Village for the sensitization training of the adolescent girls stating that it came at the right time.

The traditional ruler assured that his palace will continue to be opened for such activities in the future because according to him, information is power and must not be hoarded.

Some fathers who were at the training commended NAWOJ for the training and sensitization meeting stressing that hygiene is very important for females adding that cleanliness of the body is part of religion.

Speaking variously, they urged the adolescent girls at the training to ensure that they took away one or two lessons from the programme.

END