A United States based Non Governmental Organisation, the African Immigrants Resources Center, has urged Women to embrace proper hygiene and self development for a better future.
The Convener of the NGO’s Give A Girl A Pad (GAGAP) initiative, Mrs Chimezie Oji-Kalu said this at the 2026 annual August meeting of the Ezimba autonomous community, in Emii, Owerri North council area of Imo, on Saturday.
Oji-Kalu, represented by the GAGAP Coordinator in Imo, Mrs Winifred Ijeaku, described proper hygiene as “a nonnegotiable requirement” for self development.
She said that among other things, the GAGAP initiative was aimed at helping young girls avoid the mistakes of the past in the area of menstrual hygiene.
He urged the women to instill the value of personal hygiene in their daughters to help improve their dignity, self esteem and wellbeing.
According to her, well developed girls will grow into responsible women and builders of society, hence the need to catch them young hygienically, morally and otherwise.
“As mothers, we must carefully observe and guide our children, especially our daughters because the cost of improper hygiene can last a lifetime.
“We must insist on good sanitary pads to ensure that we avert possible infection and secure the future of the girl child who will take over from us as mothers“, she said.
She also advised the women to help their daughters stay away from bad friends, drugs, cultism and other vices, and not to tolerate indiscipline but to reprimand unruly behavior.
Speaking, the President-General of the community’s women wing, Mrs Ijeoma Ogueri-Isiguzo thanked the NGO for utilizing the opportunity of the August meeting to address issues facing the women, especially hygiene.
She however said that most of the women lacked the money to afford good sanitary pads, and called on Government at various levels to support the GAGAP initiative.
Also, the wife of the community’s traditional ruler, Ugoeze Chidinma Nkwocha thanked the NGO and prayed for God’s blessings on them.
Our correspondent reports that the NGO distributed free sanitary pads to the over 300 women present at the meeting.
