Ahead of World Menstrual Hygiene Day: Int’l coalition raises over 12 million FCFA to assist female Cameroonian refugees.

The money raised is intended to assist girls and women who were forced to flee to neighbouring Nigeria as refugees as a result of the armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions of the country. 

The amount was raised during a charity fundraiser that held at the National Museum in Yaounde Tuesday May 23. 

The event was under the patronage of the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Prof Marie Therese Abena Ondoua. It was under the theme: “Pads For Every Girl”.

The fund fundraising is part of activities to celebrate the 2023 edition of the World Menstrual Hygiene Day, celebrated every May 28.

Minister Marie Therese Abena Ondoua, was represented at the event by the Technical Adviser No.2 of the Ministry of Women's Employment and the Family, Dr Leon Tchonko.

The Minister’s representative said her Ministry was proud of the activities of the coalition and is always ready to support them to assist female Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria to properly manage their menstrual hygiene.

“One of the missions of the Ministry is to accompany women wherever they are. The problem of menstrual hygiene has for long been a taboo in the society. As such, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has remained very much engaged with the coalition to fight the phenomenon,” Dr Tchonko said.

The donation from the Minister, he said, would not only assist female Cameroonian refugees better manage their menstrual hygiene but equally help them fight it as a taboo subject.

Enter coalition coordinator 

Speaking to reporters at the end of the ceremony, the Coordinator of the International Menstrual Hygiene Coalition, Mokwe Welisane Nkeng, who doubles as the founder and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the Welisane Foundation, said the fundraiser was a build up to the third intervention to assist female Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria on World Menstrual Hygiene Day. 

“For the past three years, we have been going to Nigeria to the Adagom Refugee Camp to donate dignity kits to Cameroonian girls and women who fled the Anglophone crisis. We are raising funds before the day because we need to have the funds available in order to buy the dignity kits,” Welisane said.

The members of the coalition, she explained, are also donating to the project while seeking the support of the government, the general public and sympathisers to enable them meet the target of donating 2,000 dignity kits to beneficiaries at the Adagom Refugee Camp in Ogoja, Nigeria.

A dignity kit, she explained, cost over 10,000 FCFA and to assist the 2,000 women and girls would cost the coalition the sum of about 20 million FCFA.

The members of the coalition on their own, she said, have been able to raise seven million FCFA but they need help from all and sundry to meet the target of 20 million FCFA. 

“So far, we have been able to raise some 12 million FCFA but we still call on all to donate for the good of these girls and women,” Welisane Mokwe said. 

Commenting on the choice behind the Adagom Refugee Camp, the officials noted that the camp plays host to over 8,200 Cameroonians women and girls who have fled the conflict in the two English-speaking Regions of the country and are living in deplorable situations.

Aside the donation, the coalition also intends to protect the livelihood and sexual reproductive health concerns of the refugees in the camp through sensitisation and awareness on challenges regarding access to menstrual products. They also intend to educate them on menstruation and provide period-friendly sanitation facilities to refugee girls.

Challenges faced

Harping on challenges, the members of the coalition, cited the lack of adequate information on menstruation which leads to unhygienic and unhealthy menstrual practices and taboos.

They also mentioned misconception and negative attitude which leads to shame, bullying and even gender-based violence added to poor menstrual health and hygiene which exacerbate social and economic inequalities and more among refugee girls and women. 

Strides recorded so far

Statistics provided by the coalition indicate that in 2021, some 1,027 women and girls benefited from the distribution of reusable sanitary pads while some 2,702 persons were schooled on good menstrual hygiene practices.

In 2022, some 500 women and girls in the Adagom I and II Camps received dignity kits containing sanitary pads, towels, underwear’s, buckets and soft soaps while some 1,640 persons were schooled on menstrual hygiene practices.

The coalition officials disclosed that for the past two years, 11,773 US Dollars, estimated at closed to eight million FCFA was raised; 5,788 US Dollars in 2021 and 5,985 US Dollars in 2022.

This year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day is under the theme: “Making menstruation a normal part if life by 2030”. 

According to an analysis presented during the ceremony, over 300 million women worldwide are menstruating daily with 500 million lacking access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management.