My fellow worker in Ghana, a local Ghanaian man, has stepped up to help others. His name is Samuel. He is married with one son. I have known him for more than 5 years and he never stops surprising me with his ideas and things that the Lord puts on his heart. This is his story to help young adolescent women.
Hello. I am Catechist Issa Samuel from the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. Back in October 2022, we went to a church for a program. They invited one lady to sing. She did so well. We all enjoyed her. Then I did the preaching. When I finished, they asked her to come back up to sing for the offertory. The girl did not come up. Her parents were annoyed, and the church people were shouting on her. After the church service, everyone left, and she remained. I went and asked her, “what is wrong?” She said she is on her menses and her dress is spoiled. I asked her if she was aware it would come and she was. She said she asked her father to give her money for it and he refused. She then asked her mother who then went to sell a bowl of pepper to a trader for money. But still, the money has not come for her to buy the pad. So, she did not have any option except for using traditional things which brings sores to her private areas, and she didn’t want to use it anymore.
That was the beginning, that is how it all came about. So, how can we help other young girls in this situation?
Some girls told us that they sold themselves purposely to be able to buy pads. One girl said she broke her virginity because of this issue. She was in school and didn’t have money and her parents did not have money, so she found a boy who wanted to date her. He said she would need to spend the weekends with him before he would give her any money. She did not feel like she had any other option than to agree.
Isn’t this shocking??!
My colleague Charity and I have asked questions to young women and have heard that when it is that time of the month, they do not even go to school. They usually have no sanitary protection.
In November of 2022 Ghana inflation went to a staggering 30+%. Prices have increased and people struggle with food prices not to mention “extra” things like pads.
Samuel is one who has a heart for vulnerable people. He loves the broken-hearted and always pulls out of his own emply pockets to help. Sometimes I ask, “WHO IS THIS GUY???” He was thinking of how he could help and teach families how necessary it is for young women to have these items. He was telling me he didn’t just want it to be a “here is your pad, come and get it” sort of thing. He wanted to speak to families, and especially fathers, to tell them about the importance of buying pads for their daughters. He decided to type up a flyer and see if he could get donations to help buy pads because many do not have money for it.
The only thing I did was edit the flyer. All of the other work was Samuel, another pastor and a young woman. They went out in June, usually after church on Sunday, to speak to a church or community on this topic. They spoke to fathers and men and emphasized the importance of putting this on their budget for their daughters. They told them this is a necessity every month. Samuel’s friend Christy took the young women aside and taught about hygiene and also showed them how to use a pad. And, of course, every woman got a box of pads. (A box of pads costs around $1.50. That for us is a little more than a Diet Coke at McDonalds.)
Samuel told me the testimonies of some of the churches where they went:
June 11, 2023 The village is called Shigu. There was education they gave for parents about buying pads for their daughters. A week later, on the 19th, Samuel met one girl from that congregation and she testified that what they came to do was good. In her own family, her father went out the following Tuesday morning and he brought back two packs of pads and told them that when they need more, they should make him aware.
June 18, 2023 The village is called Adubiyili. They gave a chance for people to ask questions after the education. One man stood up and said he did not have a question but wanted to share something. He said that his mind never went to those things. He knew that his daughters have their menses, but never thought about how they would go through it. He made a vow from that day on, even if she has her menses the day before her wedding, he will provide pads for them.
Samuel has been asked many times to visit other communities to share the information and pads. But as of, July 23rd, 2023 he has run out of funding to buy more. It is something so small, something we (in USA) do not think about. I have loved seeing how Ghanaians have taken the initiative for this outreach and Ghanaians are giving!
Soon, I will have a project for giving towards vulnerable women if you would like to contribute to this. I will keep you posted!
