FREETOWN – Hundreds of girls in Sierra Leone are denied the right to manage their monthly menstrual cycle in a dignified, healthy way according to UNICEF.
In order to lift up the moral of the girls, Fanta’s Designs and its partners, Bkrowned Hair Salon located in Bronx, New York hosted its first annual Feminine Hygiene Project for girls at the Kaningo Community.
Before presenting the feminine hygiene package items to the girls on Friday at the Nyabie Business Centre, Regent Road at Lumley, Fanta’s Designs held empowerment knowledge and fun sessions where they demonstrated their different talents.
Along the feminine hygiene package were T-Shirt, gift prizes and prizes for dancing competition.
Chief Executive Officer of Fanta’s Designs, Suad Fanta Jalloh 30 years old Sierra Leonean based in Yonkers, New York said she got the burning desire to help girls through the story her cousin told her on how some girls can’t afford basic feminine hygiene products.
She maintained that Fanta’s Designs partnered with BKrowned to help raise funds to meet feminine sanitation needs in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
“Our goal is to uplift and encourage 50 girls, ages 12-18, in the Kaningo Community, by providing them with a 3-month supply of feminine hygiene products,” she said.
She pointed out that their aim is to boost the young girls’ confidence and self-esteem with access to proper sanitation items, education, as well as words of encouragement.
While thanking donors and her family for their support, she disclosed that $1,400,000 was raised for the project.
Fanta’s Designs, is an African inspired brand that creates customized clothing and that it represents embracing, owning and connecting to you culture.
That she wants people to feel like royalty when wearing her brand to bring out the King and Queen within them.
She emphasised that she wants the girls to love, take care and maintain themselves, noting that the first step of becoming a woman is being able to take care of themselves as she put it: “When you look good, you feel good, that is why I want them to use these items.”
The owner of Bkrowned Hair Salon, Baindu Koroma 28 years old who was born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone, moved to America at a young age and fell in love with doing hair for which she acquired a BA in Business and now a licensed Cosmetologist.
Alice F. Moseray one of the beneficiaries described the engagement as a great platform for them as it was not only sharing of items but one that was educative.
She stated that some of the girls can’t afford the items giving to them, adding that they mostly used fabric instead of the pad which eventually causes infection.
She thanked Fanta’s Designs and partners for reaching out to them at this trying time.
She expressed her admiration of Fanta Jalloh in transforming the lives of girls in deprived community.
Madam Martha Kabba gave a motivational speech to the girls as a means of booting their confidence.
