By: Saffa B Moriba in Kenema district
7000 school going pupils from various secondary schools in Kenema district on Thursday 16th March 2023 benefited from free sanitary pads distributed by first lady Madam Fatima Bio.
The ceremony took place at the city field along Sumaila street in Kenema where hundreds of stakeholders including parents and guardians were in attendance.
In his welcome address the Paramount chief of Nongowa chiefdom PC Mohamed Sadique Kapuwa outlined some of the development strides by the ruling government, citing instances of the free quality education, paying of school fee subsidies among others.
The first lady spoke about the quality of pads she is dishing out to them, and she taught them all how they should be used. She said the pads have the image of President Bio and herself the first lady Fatima Bio with inscriptions of ‘Hands off our Girls’, ‘Free Sanitary Pads’. ‘Marriage my choice, Education my right’. ‘Menstruation is not a choice girls need free sanitary pads’.
She said the free sanitary pads do not know political colours, physical status, tribes, regions but Sierra Leonean girls.
She said the pads will continue to prevent the girls from diseases as compared to the clothes the girls usually used as pads.
She called on all the girls to embark on their Educational journey with all seriousness it deserves.
She appealed to the parents and guardians to continue their monitoring their girl childs at all times, adding education is the only way out.
All the pupils and their parents were in jubilant mood throughout the ceremony. SM/17/3/2023