By Theresa Moses
As part of its activities to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025, the “Pad Me A Girl Initiative,” a flagship project of GATMASH MEDIA had a remarkable dual outreaches on Tuesday, 28th May, 2025, at Isolog College, Akute, Ogun State, and Area 1, Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp, Durumi, Abuja.
With the theme: “Overcoming the Challenges in 2030”, it advocated for menstrual dignity, fight period poverty, and empower young girls through knowledge and free essential supplies.
This year’s commemoration went beyond symbolic gestures; it tackled core menstrual health issues in communities often left out of conversations—especially schoolgirls and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
At Area 1 IDP Camp, Durumi, Abuja began with an emotional and impactful outreach where dozens of displaced young girls and women gathered for a life-changing experience.
“Pad Me A Girl Initiative” brought not just supplies, but compassion. Team members led a lively and informative session on menstrual hygiene management, snd taught the girls how to stay clean, safe, and confident during their periods.
The outreach emphasized hygiene practices, myth-busting, and emotional support for girls who have endured hardship in displacement.
Items shared to the girls included Free sanitary pads; Comprehensive menstrual hygiene guide; Exercise books and pens and One-on-one counseling and Q&A.
Expressing her satisfaction with the programme, one of the beneficiaries and a resident of the camp, a 14-year-old Zainab Bature said, “This is the first time someone talked to me about my period in a kind way. I now understand that it is normal, not a curse.”
At the Isolog College, Akute, where a spirited and inspiring event was held in collaboration with the school’s leadership, gave an excellent opportunity to have frank conversations with the students.
In her keynote address, the Convener of “Pad Me A Girl Initiative” and Chief Executive Officer, Gatmash Media, Theresa Moses, said that Menstrual Hygiene Day is not just a date, but a call to action.
She noted, “A girl should not miss school, sports, or success because of her period. This initiative is about restoring what was taken from so many girls: dignity.”
Theresa Moses, a media entrepreneur and gender advocate explained the mission and achievement of the “Pad Me A Girl Initiative,” to include distribution of over 2,000 reusable and disposable sanitary pads in underserved communities.
Also, it has established a “Pad Bank” to serve girls and women in need in IDP camps, rural schools, and marketplaces.
The convener reiterated that, “We are committed to making menstrual hygiene a basic right, not a luxury. Through the Pad Bank, we want to ensure that no girl or woman will ever choose between a meal and getting a pad again.”
Moses emphasized that menstrual hygiene is not just about physical health, but about confidence, inclusion, and gender equality.
In the Interactive Session with Mrs. Amina Omoike, the Guest Speaker and a Media Expert and Life Coach, who rendered a touching and relatable talk, drew inferences from her own journey as a woman and mother.
“When I had my first period, I thought something was wrong with me. No one told me it was natural. Today, I tell you—it is not just natural, it is powerful, she recounted.
In her analysis covering key hygiene practices, she explained the necessity of changing pads every 4–6 hours; Washing hands before and after changing it; Avoiding perfumed soaps and antiseptics in intimate areas; and Choosing breathable fabrics.
Importantly, Mrs Amina Omoike stressed the need for young girls to ask questions, speak up, and be their sister’s keeper.
“You are not alone. If you are confused, talk to your teacher, your mother, or your friend. Shame dies when we speak.”
Earlier in her opening remarks, the Vice Principal, Isolog College, Mrs. Ihomuehe Egumah, said “this is not just a programme, it’s a legacy moment. Today we give our girls what many of us never had: knowledge, support, and dignity.
“We thank the “Pad Me A Girl Initiative” for choosing our school and sowing these seeds of confidence.”
While encouraging the students to be proud of their identity as girls, added that they should not allow shame or stigma to define their experience with menstruation.
During the event, there were sundry Goodwill messages from partners. Among whom were Mr. Lawal Abiodun Adeyemi, BL Consulting, “This initiative is the kind of action our country needs. It doesn’t just provide materials; it builds a movement. Pad Me A Girl is changing lives, one girl at a time.”
To Mr. Paul Maduakor, CEO, ProStar Sports International said, “I see champions in this room. Girls who will go on to become leaders, athletes, doctors, and innovators. Periods do not define you—your dreams do.”
To bridge the gap in access to hygiene materials, Pad Me A Girl Initiative distributed essential materials which included: Sanitary pads; Pens and exercise books; Menstrual hygiene booklets and Referral and access information for the Pad Bank.
“This did not only equip the girls physically, but also gave them long-term tools to manage their health and studies with confidence. We are not just giving out pads—we are rewriting the story of what it means to be a girl in Nigeria,” Theresa Moses, Convener, “Pad Me A Girl Initiative” reiterated.
The twin outreach programmes reached out to over 500 girls and young women at both locations, leaving behind not only supplies but new narratives of empowerment.
“Pad Me A Girl Initiative” is a menstrual health campaign by GATMASH MEDIA, committed to ending period poverty and advancing menstrual equity through: Advocacy; Education; Sanitary product distribution and Sustainable Pad Bank networks.
With a reach of over 2,500 girls and ongoing programmes across Nigeria, the initiative is one of the nation’s most impactful menstrual hygiene campaigns.
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