Young Leaders Network donates pad banks and sanitary pads to Bauchi schools to improve menstrual hygiene and support girls’ education

A Bauchi-based civil society organisation, the Young Leaders Network (YLN), has donated pad banks and sanitary materials to two secondary schools in the state to promote menstrual hygiene and improve school attendance among adolescent girls.

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The donation was carried out on Friday at the Special Education Centre, Yelwa, and Hope Academy, Bauchi, under the EmpowerHER Adolescent Girls Mentorship Club and the Strengthening Advocacy for Girls’ Education (SAGE) Project, in partnership with the Malala Fund.

Charity Solomon, Programmes Manager for Quality and Inclusive Education at YLN, said each school received a branded pad bank and 100 packs of sanitary pads to ensure girls do not miss school due to menstruation.

“No girl should stay at home or suffer embarrassment because she is menstruating,” Solomon said, adding that the SAGE Project promotes equitable access to secondary education, strengthens gender-responsive policies, and encourages sustainable education financing.

The pad bank donation will also be extended to Government Senior Secondary School, Bauchi, as part of YLN’s wider effort to keep girls in school.

Ameera Salisu, Principal of the Special Education Centre, Yelwa, described the gesture as timely and impactful, noting that some students previously missed school or relied on rags during menstruation.

At Hope Academy, Principal Stevenson Adejo said the pad banks would help the school respond to emergency situations when students unexpectedly start their menstrual cycle.

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The school’s Head Girl, Matina Irmiya, expressed gratitude, highlighting that the initiative restored dignity and confidence among female students.