Development Bank Ghana supports menstrual hygiene campaign with sanitary pad donation to BIG BOSS

Development Bank Ghana has intensified efforts to promote menstrual hygiene and support girls’ education through the donation of sanitary towels and sensitisation programmes in selected schools across the country.

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, the bank visited Bolgatanga Senior High School, popularly known as BIG BOSS, where it educated female students on menstrual hygiene management and donated sanitary towels to support girls during their menstrual periods.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts by institutions and organisations to create awareness on menstrual health, reduce stigma surrounding menstruation and ensure girls remain comfortable, healthy and confident in school.

Speaking during the programme, the Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Development Bank Ghana, Barbara Anawuno Wricketts, said the initiative was aimed at helping girls understand menstruation as a natural stage of life while promoting proper menstrual hygiene practices.

She noted that the engagement also created an opportunity for students to openly discuss their fears, concerns and challenges relating to menstruation.

According to her, the bank considered it important to extend the initiative to Northern Ghana because many communities in the area continue to face economic hardships, making access to sanitary products difficult for some girls.

“We realised that the northern part of Ghana is among the most deprived areas, so we thought it wise to leave Accra and come here to spend time with the girls and support them,” she stated.

Wricketts disclosed that the bank is distributing about 10,000 sanitary towels as part of a nationwide menstrual hygiene campaign targeting schools in the Northern, Ashanti and other regions.

She added that beyond its social interventions, Development Bank Ghana’s core mandate is to provide medium to long-term financing to financial institutions and Small and Medium Enterprises to promote business growth, job creation and economic development in Ghana.

The Senior Housemistress of Bolgatanga Senior High School, Ernestina Gbeng, commended the bank for the initiative, describing it as timely and beneficial to the students.

She explained that some girls still struggle to afford sanitary pads and, in some cases, resort to using pieces of cloth during menstruation due to financial difficulties.

“Some of the girls do not know what to do when they are menstruating, and getting sanitary pads is sometimes a challenge,” she said.

Gbeng noted that although some organisations, including CAMFED, periodically support selected students with sanitary products, many girls still require assistance.

She further revealed that the school has washroom facilities and an emergency sanitary pad dispensing machine to support students who unexpectedly begin their menstrual periods while in class.

According to her, menstrual accidents sometimes affect the confidence of students, particularly first-year girls who may not yet fully understand or properly monitor their menstrual cycles.

She recounted instances where some students had to be counselled after feeling embarrassed when menstrual stains became visible in class, occasionally attracting ridicule from colleagues.

A student of the school, Kundung Patience, expressed gratitude to the bank for the support, saying sanitary pads are essential in helping girls remain clean, healthy and confident.

She explained that due to financial constraints, some girls sometimes rely on reusable cloth materials during menstruation, although disposable sanitary pads provide a safer and more hygienic option.

She appealed to organisations and philanthropists to continue supporting girls with sanitary products to improve their wellbeing and help them stay focused on their education.

Mike 105.3FM I Navrongo | Prosper Adankai

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