DIPA Empowers Over 1,000 School Girls Through “Pad-A-Girl” Initiative

Dike Onwuamaeze

Deborah’s Impact Projects Africa (DIPA) has reaffirmed its leadership in advancing menstrual health equity in Nigeria with the successful implementation of its Pad-A-Girl Drive.

This initiative has empowered over 1,000 adolescent girls across Lagos through the donation of free sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene education.
The Pad-A-Girl Drive, which was held at Gbara Community Senior High School, Jakande, Eti-Osa and Onike Junior High School, Iwaya, Yaba, in Lagos state, provided menstrual hygiene products, education and confidence-building sessions to young girls who are often forced to miss school due to lack of access to sanitary pads.

Recognising this pressing issue, DIPA launched the Pad-A-Girl Drive to eradicate this trend and ensure that no girl is forced to choose between her dignity and her education.

Speaking at the outreach, Programs Director of DIPA, Diezani Ototo-Onuorah, emphasised the organisation’s unwavering commitment to transforming the lives of women and girls across Africa:
Ototo-Onuorah said: “As an organisation, we have seen first-hand how something as natural as menstruation can become a barrier that derails a girl’s destiny.
“That is why DIPA is fully taking responsibility, not just partnering, not just supporting, but leading this movement for menstrual dignity across communities.

“Pad-A-Girl is one expression of our dedication to give every girl the freedom, knowledge, and confidence to show up and succeed in class, in society and in God’s purpose for her life. We refuse to allow poverty to silence dreams or push girls into isolation.”

The programs director added that the “outreach is only the beginning.
“We are scaling, we are returning and we are expanding, because our girls deserve consistency, not occasional interventions.
“The future of Africa is tied to the opportunities we give our girls right now, and DIPA is determined to keep opening those doors.”

The outreach at both schools featured sessions on menstrual hygiene, puberty awareness and confidence building soeeches, designed to equip girls with the right knowledge to manage their periods safely and with dignity.

Volunteers from DIPA also led interactive discussions to dispel myths surrounding menstruation and promote positive self-esteem.

The Principal of Gbara Community Senior High School, Mrs. Oyewole Abosede, expressed heartfelt gratitude for the initiative.
Abosede said: “This initiative has restored dignity to many of our girls who have struggled quietly for months and years.

“By placing sanitary pads in their hands and knowledge in their hearts, you have empowered them to walk tall every day of the month.”
Similarly, the Principal of Onike Junior High School, Dr. Patience Yetunde Akingbade, and the Vice Principal, Mrs. Alabi Oyenike, commended DIPA for its timely and impactful intervention.

Akingbade said:

“Many of our students come from families that find it difficult to afford basic hygiene items.

“What DIPA has done today goes beyond distributing pads; it has restored confidence, dignity, and focus to our girls.
“You have touched lives in a way that words cannot fully express.”

The Pad-A-Girl Drive is an integral part of DIPA’s broader mission, inspired by its journeys across Africa during the Mantle of Deborah Conferences.
Through these experiences, the founders witnessed firsthand the daily challenges faced by women and girls, from limited access to hygiene essentials and healthcare to economic exclusion and societal stigma.

Building on this vision, DIPA Kenya also held its own Pad-A-Girl Drive just a week ago, extending the movement’s impact across borders.
Since its inception, DIPA has impacted over 10,000 women and girls across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Botswana and South Africa through initiatives that empower them spiritually, socially, and economically.

These include The Joseph’s Project (food security), Financial Literacy Programme (economic empowerment), and the School Adoption Programme (improved learning environments).

The organisation’s goal is to elevate the status of African women and girls, from merely surviving to flourishing, blooming and thriving.
The Pad-A-Girl Drive will continue across Lagos and expand into more underserved African communities, to ensure that girls remain confident, educated and enabled to pursue their dreams with dignity and hope.