Country of Residence
Nigeria
Age
18
Project title
THE CHANGE I WANT TO MAKE
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
This is a movement inspired by the story of my life. I saw my first ever period at age twelve. I was stained with blood and frightened because I had no prior knowledge of what menstruation or menstrual health was about. I wrote this short introduction because I want you to see this project from my own perspective. it's about teaching young girls about how thier body works and providing them with necessary equipments and information. To be able to explain to them that menstruation is NATURAL.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
Tomorrow is a girl initiative
Project Category
My project is an existing project started by another young person that I am replicating
Project Stage
Idea (We’re hoping to get started in the future)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
On 20th June 2020, eighteen days after my twelveth birthday,I was using the restroom when i noticed a little amount of blood on my private p@rt. I panicked considering the fact that I had no prior knowledge of what it meant. I thought i had a chronic disease or I was infected by bacteria . I cleaned up and ran to my Mom. I explained to her what happened and she told me that it's called menstruation and it happens every month. There was no sanitary pad at home at the moment so she sent my younger sister to get one. She then taught me how to wear a pad and she told me to take a shower at least twice in a day. Fast forward to when I was fifteen,i was among the fifteen girls from my community which were chosen to be Adolescent gender champions(AGC). We were taught about menstruation,how to track our menstrual cycle, dangers of female genital mutilation and how to conduct a breast self examination for cancer. It was such an Educative and awesome experience as i t was my first time experiencing such wonder. We also went to schools and taught students and pupils about menstrual health and hygiene. Then October last year (2025) I volunteered to work for a Non governmental organization (NGO) called tomorrow is a girl(TAG). This was the organization that sponsored the first outreach I ever participated in. I joined because I don't want any girl to experience what I had experienced.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
I am helping to solve the problem of poor menstrual hygiene in my community. I noticed that there is a high level of poor menstrual hygiene. During the outreach I participated in,I found out that eighty percent of the female students especially those between ages eleven and thirteen did not know what menstruation was about. Plus the fact that ! menstruation are not taught in some schools in my community. Menstrual health is overlooked in the current institutions and families we have now. Only few are lucky to have a knowledge of it before Thier first period. And as a one - time victim of such administration,I do not want it to continue or the life and health of our young girls will be at risk. Solving this critical problem matters to me because I do not want this ugly history to keep repeating itself. Some young girls I have been privileged to work with have a story similar to mine ; they were never taught about menstrual health. Solving this problem is going to make a huge impact in the life of young girls and also prepare them for being a change maker in the nearest future. They will be knowledgeable about how Thier body works and do's and don'ts when they are on Thier period. Looking at my life now,it is the impact of a young girl who saw the need for this change .And I would love to make this change in my community to create an avenue for the next change makers.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
I will buy sanitary pads,reusable pads,cotton pants (underwear),print a banner with the caption; The next change makers featuring menstrual health talk, writing materials,a branded T-shirt (for my team members),sticky notes and refreshments. It is going to be a three days program and I plan to visit the three major schools in my community. Before the commencement of the outreach,I will visit the proprietors of the schools for permission and agree on a date and time. First day : I will visit first class international school idembia. i will use Thier main hall. I will commence with an opening prayer for the success of the event,I and my team members will introduce ourselves and I will give an introduction about what we came for. Writing materials will be distributed among them. One of my team members will talk deeply on menstrual hygiene and period tracking which is when I will share the already printed period tracker for better understanding and comprehension. Then we will take a short break where refreshments will be distributed among the students. My second team member will demonstrate how to use a reusable and disposable pad. I will now conduct a practical example of breast self examination for breast cancer. Then I will also teach them about the importance of learning or having a skill. Then they'll be a question and answer session. Then we will ask them to write a new lesson they learnt on the sticky notes that will be distributed to them. Disposable and reusable pads will be distributed among them after the sections.Then we will take pictures with them. On the second day,I will visit shalom international college. On the third day, I will visit community secondary school Echara. The same plan will be carried out in all the three schools I will visit.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
My project is still an idea .But if my idea is brought to life, I plan to impact at least 1000 girls, I plan to attend 3 schools which are the major schools in my community, as 90% of the target population attends these schools. I hope to change the status quo of poor menstrual health knowledge and hygiene which is dominant in my community . I believe that our young girls should be knowledgeable about how Thier body works. As the saying goes- knowledge is power. I also plan to share pads to them . Many of them use old wrappers and tissue paper as most people are not able to afford a pad which is not advisable. Giving them pads is an avenue for a good menstrual hygiene and health to thrive. I will teach them how to track Thier period . This is the most underrated part of menstrual health. Some girls who do not know how to track Thier period will get stained in class or other places which will make them feel ashamed but if she already tracks her period,she will know when her next cycle will begin and prepare accordingly to avoid leaving her embarrassed or stained. The period tracker which I will share to them will act as a practical guide on period tracking. The breast self-examination procedure which I will explain to them will save a lot o girls from cancer . If I reach out to them and they reach out to Thier friends and family,it will go a long way in change making.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
I have attended a couple of menstrual health outreaches in the past. But I want mine to have a difference. We have always taught them about Thier health and menstrual cycle. But I came up with a new idea which is adding the importance of having a skill. I am going to be speaking to young minds and I'll like them to have a mindset shift . I have digital skills which include graphics design and video editing even though I am a student. I also have a friend who is also a tailor and i know the Importance of having a skill. I earn from it by editing and designing for other people. So I can be able to provide some necessary things like sanitary pads for myself. I believe that our girls should know the Importance of being valuable. So I will teach them about the importance of skills and categories of skills which they can try and venture in. This will bring about financial stability and a sense of learning and evolving.
How many people are on your team?
5
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
I am still building my idea. I am a science student so I will recruit two of my classmates and explain what the program is about. They're not from my community so they would need to take permission from Thier parents to be able to come with me and I will give them a topic to learn and work on before the day of the outreach. I will also reach out to two of my friends whom I have gone on an outreach with in the past an also explain to them what it is about . So we are going to be 5 in total .
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
My plan is to reach at least 1000 girls and I will need people (a good team) and Funding to make it work. First,I will start by finding the right people to help me bring my vision to life. I will reach out to two people that are science students in my school I will explain extensively on what the plan is about,we will talk about the sponsorship,the location,the equipments,the teaching sections and time. So we will brainstorm on how it's going to commence and what they think about it. I may not be able to get someone who can participate for 3 days but I will try and space the outreach so they can comfortably participate. Then the second set of people are going to be two people that I have worked with in the past. So I will explain extensively on what the plan is about and get Thier approval . So when I've gotten a solid team, I will proceed to get the necessary equipments which will make the outreach possible. Which include visiting the proprietor of the various schools I plan to visit and getting Thier approval, getting the outfit size of my team members for a proper branded T-shirt which we will wear for the outreaches, paying for a custom banner which we will use on the day of the outreach.Buying writing materials which the students will use to write down key points during the session, sanitary pads,pants,sticky notes, printing of period trackers and refreshments
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I have never hosted an outreach before but I have an idea on how to convince people to join the change making process. Firstly, I would create contents about what the project is about talking about my first period ever and telling them that we might have similar experiences but it is time to change that scenario which keeps repeating itself. I will end with a call to action asking them to message the number on the screen if they would like join me in making change. I am convinced that people will reach out to me . I will carefully put them to test by asking them to fill a form which I have worked on to be able to as ascertain Thier eligibility. Then I will add the eligible ones to a Whatsapp group and I will carry out series of tests to be able to come up with the best ones. Secondly,I will reach out to my team members whom I have gone on an outreach with in the past . I will also ask them to fill the eligibility form . Then I'll test them so that I can come up with the best ones. Then after selecting those I feel understands the mission ahead, I will give them an orientation by hosting a virtual meeting or a physical meeting if possible. I will explain to them the vision and how I plan things to go. I will give room for Thier contributions and also know Thier schedule so that we can carry out the plan without hitches. I will also reach out to the ED of TAG for hint
