A 13-year-old class five pupil of Saint Francis Primary School at Dakompilayiri in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region, has put her education on hold and ventured into farming to raise money for sanitary pads.
Khadijatu Bawuma, who lives with her 68-year-old paternal grandmother at Dakompilayiri, in an interview told Myjoyonline.com that she was compelled to temporarily leave school to raise money and buy enough sanitary pads to avoid staining her outfits - an incident that has occurred to her many times while in school.
"I don't have anybody to help me financially. At first, it was my grandmother but now, she says she doesn't have. So, she (grandmother) asks that I use a piece of cloth but I can't wear it and go to school with it. Because from experience, it will disgrace me again."
"So, anytime my flow is due, I stay away from school and now, I'm tired of doing that because friends are all aware and some even gave me names. But once I'm here on the farm with my grandmother, our focus is to get money to enable me to buy enough pads and fend for ourselves," Khadihatu Bawumah said.
The grandmother, Felicia Bawumah claimed that the teenager's biological mother abandoned her at the age of four and walked out of her marriage.
She added that Khadijatu's father, after his wife's action, also went down south, and has not returned after nine years.
"See how weak I am with this young one. What else can I do; I don't have a husband. I'm a widow and my children are not here too. So, she is here with me on the farm because she started having her monthly flow and said she wouldn't wear clothes. But me too I can't afford the pads. And it's always like this every month but this time around, she wouldn't go back," the grandmother indicated.
Khadijatu Bawumah was first spotted on a two-acre maize farmland by our news crew engaged in weeding.
Madam Felicia appealed to anyone that can be of help to come to her grandchild's rescue.
"If we get help from anywhere for her, I'll be very happy because I need her to be better than me tomorrow," Felicia added.
Little Khadijatu Bawumah told MyJoyOnline about her dream of becoming a professional nurse or a teacher because she loves the two professions.
After hearing the plight of the teenager from our news team, a retired educationist who is also the chief of Dakompilayiri and Kunkuya, Eku-Ewilawura Amos Seidu visited the farm and donated an undisclosed amount of money to Khadijatu through her grandmother to get the pads.
"She needs to get back to school. At least, she can buy sanitary pads that might last for two months or so.
I'll also try and visit you anytime I come to the community, but use the money very well," he said.
As part of the intervention, the retired educationist also donated a beehive cage and enrolled Khadija and her grandmother in bee-keeping training, alongside 60 other women to help them establish a business and increase their income.
MyJoyOnline checks in that enclave showed that many young girls live under similar conditions and are forced to drop out of school and forced into early marriages.
Latest Stories
-
Enimil Ashon: Eye of hyena is on lizard; eye of lizard is on ant…
45 seconds -
JoySports Invitational: Labadi Beach Hotel hops on biggest corporate sports event train for Oct. 26
8 mins -
JoySports Invitational: Jetlink Flight Support aims for clean sweep of trophies on Oct. 26
8 mins -
Say no to winner-takes-all system, embrace gov’t of national unity” – KOD urges Ghanaians
21 mins -
8 signs your body is warning you that it’s time to take a break
37 mins -
Supreme Court Justice Yonni Kulendi to deliver keynote at Accra Business School’s 2024 congregation
39 mins -
The Harmonious Chorale-Ghana in “Symphony and Steps” Concert
42 mins -
15 subtle signs a man’s only with you for convenience
48 mins -
Quest International University: Producing solutions-driven futuristic graduates for the world from Malaysia
1 hour -
Today’s front pages: Friday, October 18, 2024
1 hour -
‘Daniel Dubois is bad for his health’ – Anthony Joshua advised against rematch
2 hours -
Margins CEO challenges business leaders to shape economic policies
2 hours -
People are in the streets to celebrate amidst the chaos – how Kwasi Appiah brought joy to war-tone Sudan
2 hours -
Global rollout of Ghana Card begins in Denmark on Tuesday
2 hours -
Telecel Ghana Foundation introduces ‘Telecel Digitech Academy’ to equip students with future-ready skills
2 hours