Laura Flora Adolescent Care Foundation (LFACF), a charity dedicated to helping, empowering, and advocating for the needs of underprivileged adolescent girls visited secondary schools in Makurdi and Port Harcourt to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025, themed ‘Together for a Period Friendly World’. The visits included a talk on menstrual hygiene and a donation of menstrual hygiene products to young girls, particularly from underprivileged backgrounds.
During the visit to UBE JSS Demekpe, Makurdi, Mrs Regina Achie Nege, convener of Ace Booksquare Book Club in Makurdi and LFACF volunteer, presented 2 of her poetry collections, Let Me Die Another Day to the school library. Two girls from UBE JSS Demekpe read two poems addressing the topic of menstruation, ‘Call Me by My Name’ and ‘We Need to Talk’ from the poetry collection.
Speaking at UBE JSS Demekpe, Makurdi, LFACF Director of Programmes Mrs Felicia Zamber gave the girls advice on their menstrual cycle and answered a variety of questions about menstruation from the girls, saying it was important to “open up to your parents about your period and report any abnormalities to them.”
The founder and CEO of LFACF, Mrs Laura Erdoo Baaki, who resides in the UK, called in over WhatsApp to speak to the girls at UBE JSS Demekpe. She said she was glad that such an important issue about adolescent girls is recognised with a day earmarked for it.
Mrs Baaki reminded the girls to “prioritise a healthy menstrual lifestyle,” saying that they could save themselves from “period-related issues and boost their confidence to go out there and excel.” She encouraged them to be “proud of who they were, study well in order to prepare yourselves to be successful tomorrow.”
In Port Harcourt, Mrs Flora Doowuese Magashi, co-founder and Managing Director of LFACF spoke to young girls at Paradox Stars Academy and encouraged them to be open about menstruation and to take good care of themselves during it.
“Menstruation is not a sin, a taboo or sickness; it’s a sign of good health, something you should be proud to talk about. Take good care of yourself during your period. Be proud of being women, because we are specially and uniquely made,” Mrs. Magashi said.
The management of both UBE JSS Demekpe, Makurdi, and Paradox Stars Academy, Port Harcourt, was delighted about the initiative from LFACF and thanked the foundation for choosing to visit their schools on such an important day for young adolescent girls.
Data shows that an estimated 37 million girls and women experience period poverty in Nigeria, meaning that they are unable to access or afford menstrual products like pads/tampons, pain medication and underwear.
The Menstrual Hygiene Day was initiated in 2013 by German-based NGO WASH United and first observed in 2014. It has since been a worldwide annual event on the 23rd of May to bring awareness to the importance of good menstrual hygiene management.
Laura Flora Adolescent Care Foundation was conceived in 2022 when twins Laura Erdoo and Flora Doowuese started giving out sanitary pads every month to 12- to 15-year-olds in a local church in Kaduna, where they grew up. LFACF has now expanded to supporting disadvantaged adolescent girls in Benue State, Nigeria, providing skills development, rural outreach and counselling for adolescent girls.
Coming soon is the LFACF Scholarships and Awards. The foundation is registered with the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission.
