09/12/2025
When Period Poverty Steals Education: How We're Fighting Back
During a parent-teacher meeting in Benue State, a mother's testimony stopped everyone in their tracks. Her daughter was missing school every month not because of illness or poor performance, but because the family couldn't afford sanitary pads.
Her story represents millions of Nigerian girls losing 60 days of education annually to period poverty.
This November, SuS Pads was engaged by Olam Agri to deliver comprehensive menstrual hygiene management training to three schools across Nasarawa and Benue States: Government Secondary School Awe, Government Secondary School Kanje, and St. Cecilia Secondary School Dauda.
What We Found: The knowledge gap was alarming. When asked to define menstruation, one male student said it's "when blood stops." This revealed how silence and stigma keep young people dangerously uninformed about basic biology.
What We Did: Taught comprehensive menstrual health education (biology, nutrition, cycle tracking), Trained students to manufacture their own reusable pads, Included male students to break stigma and build allies, Established hygiene clubs with ongoing resources, Provided sewing machines, materials, and reference books to each school.
The Results: Most girls successfully cut and sewed their own reusable pads. Michael, a male student at St. Cecilia, picked up needle and thread to help his female classmates complete theirs.
That moment symbolized the cultural shift we're creating.
Girls who previously missed five school days monthly will now attend consistently recovering 60 days of education annually. They're learning skills they can monetize, transforming period products from financial burden to potential income source. Boys are becoming supportive allies instead of perpetuating shame.
The Mother's Hope: That same mother who spoke at the PTA meeting said something else: with this training, her daughter would not only manage her periods with dignity but could also generate income to support the family.
That's the difference between charity and empowerment. That's what happens when corporate investment meets specialized expertise. That's what becomes possible when we treat menstrual health with the seriousness it deserves.
The Challenge Ahead: Period poverty continues stealing opportunities from millions of Nigerian girls, one cycle at a time. The three schools we worked with now model what's achievable. The question is how quickly we can scale these solutions to reach every school where girls are still forced to choose between education and dignity.
Comprehensive solutions exist. They require commitment, skilled facilitation, and organizations willing to invest in sustainability rather than quick fixes.
Read the complete story: https://www.suspads.com/sus-pads-delivers-mhm-training-for-olam-agri/
