26 January, 2021 (SALONE TIMES)
FREETOWN – Few days after he was sacked by President Bio, former Minister of Lands and Country Planning, Denis Sandy was seen distributing Sanitary Pads together the First Lady in some secondary schools in Freetown.
This has shown how life is unpredictable and how people must remain to show humility even in power rather than becoming an outburst.
It could be recalled that last Wednesday 20th January Madam Fatima Bio commenced the distribution of free sanitary pads to school girls within Freetown as part of a nationwide distribution process that will target 60,000 beneficiaries.
The distribution exercise started with three schools in the west end of Freetown and was witnessed by senior government officials including the Sierra Leone Ambassador to China H.E Alex Ndomahina and members of both the Julius Maada Bio Women’s Wing and Associates and the Fatima and Maada Bio foundation.
In her statement at the distribution event in all the three schools of Lady Patricia Kabba Secondary School, Services Secondary School and Vine Memorial Secondary School, Madam Fatima told the cheerful young girls that menstruation was not a crime and therefore, they should not be ashamed of it.
“Menstruation is not a choice, you need not to be ashamed because it is not a crime” Madam Fatima told the girls and called on them to focus on their education and say no to early marriage and teenage pregnancy.
She said the delivery of the free sanitary pads was in fulfilment of a promise she and H.E President Julius Maada Bio made to provide hygienic sanitary pads to school girls as part of the ‘Hands off Our Girls’ Campaign to keep them in school during their menstruation period.
She noted that the free sanitary pads were safe to use and that they have been certified by the UN to be used anywhere in the world. She further stated that the one pack contains 120 pads and could last for a whole year. She displayed the pads to the girls and explained how they should be used properly, emphasizing that it should not be sold or spoiled.
The First Lady told the girls about fake news on social media and that this was the first time she was giving out free sanitary pads. She added that they were giving the pads to girls not because they could not afford it, but because they believed in their future and therefore want them to stay in school at all time.
The principals of the three Schools, praised both the First Lady and President Bio for the Free Quality Education, noting that most of the girls were in because of the Free Quality Education. They thanked the first lady for the free sanitary pads.
Distribution of the sanitary pads to the girls climaxed the event.
