SOCCER KITS TO PROMOTE MENSTRUAL AWARENESS

As part of efforts to increase awareness and promote positive conversations around menstrual hygiene, Amenuveve SIV Organization organized a football match and donated sports kits to Adaklu Kpetsu D/A Basic School in the Volta Region.

The initiative sought to promote the wellbeing, confidence and active participation of girls in school by donating football jerseys and footballs to the school. Beyond supporting school sports, the donation provided an opportunity to use football as a platform to initiate and sustain conversations on menstrual hygiene and menstrual health among children.

The activity brought both boys and girls together through football and created a safe and engaging environment for age-appropriate discussions on menstruation. Boys were deliberately included in the conversation to help them understand menstruation, challenge myths and stigma, and learn how to support their female peers, sisters and friends. This approach reinforces the message that menstrual hygiene is a shared community responsibility and not solely a girls’ issue.

The donation of sports kits therefore goes beyond a sporting intervention. It provides an entry point for schools and communities to create safe spaces where children can discuss menstrual health openly and without embarrassment. Encouraging girls to participate in sports also helps challenge the misconception that menstruation should prevent girls from engaging in physical activities.

Ms. Roberta emphasized that menstrual hygiene advocacy can be integrated into activities that children enjoy, creating opportunities for meaningful and lasting community impact. She encouraged individuals, football enthusiasts, businesses, development partners and other stakeholders to support schools and community teams through donations of sports equipment.

She particularly called on individuals to consider donating football jerseys, footballs, football boots and other sporting equipment to school teams. Such donations can strengthen sports participation while creating regular opportunities to bring boys and girls together and keep conversations on menstrual hygiene alive.

“Your donation of sports kits can give a child a reason to participate, a girl a reason to stay confident, and a community a reason to keep talking about menstrual health.”

There is a need for increased investment in menstrual hygiene education, reusable sanitary products, sports and school-based awareness programmes. Support from individuals, businesses, government institutions and development partners can help extend these initiatives to more schools and communities, ensuring that girls have the knowledge, confidence and resources needed to manage menstruation with dignity.

Ultimately, the initiative demonstrates that football can be more than a game, it can be a powerful platform for education, inclusion and social change. By investing in school sports and using sporting activities to promote menstrual health conversations, stakeholders can help create an environment where girls participate confidently, boys become supportive allies, and menstruation is discussed openly and without stigma.