By Bakah Derick
The Center for Advocacy in Gender Equality and Action for Development (CAGEAD) has constructed and handed over a modern toilet facility to Government Billingual High School (GBHS) Bayelle. During the handing over exercise on Thursday 14 April 2022, the Executive Director of CAGEAD, Andiensa Clotilda explained that the construction and rehabilitation of the school toilet building is part of her organisation's efforts to facilitate access to menstrual hygiene management materials thus "increasing girls school attendance and academic performance."
In addition to the improved toilet facility, CAGEAD has also offered a water source to ensure the effective use of the new toilet facility. CAGEAD's director has expressed the wish for the school and related structures like the Parents, Teachers Association (PTA) to facilitate constant water supply to the modern toilet structure.
The non-governmental organisations has also provided waste disposal buckets and an incinerator on campus. The waste dumping friendly buckets CAGEAD officials say, shall be placed in the toilet for girls to drop their used sanitary pads from where they will be collected easily and incinerated.
CAGEAD Director also disclosed to www.hilltopvoices.com that following a need accessment done earlier in the school, over a thousand girls were in need of basic menstrual hygiene management items with a large number being internally displaced to Bamenda by the current armed conflict in the North West Region. Many she said use unimaginable things to manage themselves during menstration. It is in this light that hundreds of girls from the junior and senior secondary school sections of the school were handed menstrual packs including items like, reusable and disposable sanitary pads, powder detergent, liquid bleach, pants etc.
"The disposable sanitary pads are to be used in times of emergency while the reusables are to be used when they are stable and calm." She said during her menstrual hygiene management sensitisation campaign with the students. She has also presented what she calls a menstral wheel and handed over prototypes to the girls which explains the mentrual cycle. While thanking UN Women, eBase Africa and Endowment Foundation for facilitating the project she has expressed the desire to do more should she have the means.
The top administration, parents representatives and the students of GBHS Bayelle have expressed gratitude to CAGEAD and partners for the gesture. The many who could not have for many reasons including none participation in the need accessment, have pleaded with CAGEAD to consider them during their next visit.
From GBHS Bayelle, Andiensa Clotilda has told www.hilltopvoices.com that the next stop will be GBHS Bamendakwe in Bamenda I subdivision.
Here are a few pictures from the event
CAGEAD Director explains the menstrual cycle
CAGEAD staff explaining the menstrual cycle using the menstrual wheel
CAGEAD staff explaining the menstrual cycle
Form four girls displaying their packs and wheels
CAGEAD Director presenting the content of the packs
The state of toilet before reconstruction
CAGEAD and GBHS Bamenda authorities heading to the new toilet
