SDC expands girls’ hygiene programme to second school

Four months after launching ‘It’s a Girl’s Thing’, a programme focused on adolescent hygiene and personal care, the St Thomas office of the Social Development Commission (SDC) has expanded the initiative to a second school in the parish.

Last week, 70 female students at Robert Lightbourne High School in western St Thomas benefited from the programme, which promotes personal hygiene, menstrual health, confidence and self-care.

The initiative was first introduced at Paul Bogle High School in May.

Lorian Peart-Roberts, parish manager for SDC St Thomas, said the organisation aims to reach all six high schools in the parish.

Alongside presentations, participating students received care packages provided through support from sponsors and partner agencies.

The packages contained sanitary products, deodorants, hairbrushes, wipes, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other personal-care items.

Peart-Roberts said the SDC, through its work in communities, “has recognised that a number of youngsters are very challenged in St Thomas”.

She noted that, although many families face financial difficulties, personal hygiene remains important because of its impact on self-esteem and social interaction.

“Self-esteem issues can be affected because of these things, and so, we don’t want that to be a label that they are carrying. We know what their economic status is and we don’t want to add to that,” Peart-Roberts said.

She added that water restrictions caused by the ongoing drought have made maintaining good hygiene more difficult for some students.

“We’re just reminding them that, even though you have these things happening, [hygiene] is very important to prevent isolation for some students because they feel that they’re being scorned. We’re just here to reassure them that, if you do these minor things, it doesn’t have to reach that level. We can’t give them all the things that they need in a continuous way, but just to ensure that they are aware what it is that they need and to see how we can assist,” she said.

Participating agencies included the National Council on Drug Abuse, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and other partners.

SDC St Thomas is appealing to corporate Jamaica for support as it seeks to extend the programme to the parish’s remaining four high schools.

Individuals and organisations interested in contributing may call 876-549-1180.

Peart-Roberts also disclosed plans for a similar initiative targeting boys, tentatively titled ‘It’s a Man Ting’, which she hopes to launch in February.

Robert Lightbourne High principal Ricardo Morgan welcomed the programme, describing it as a positive intervention for the school’s female students.

“We consider it a privilege to have the SDC share with our students through this initiative and to provide information that will certainly be useful to them as females and to take back home to share with their relatives and so on. We’re looking forward to them being productive citizens as they grow and, if we have youngsters now who are armed with information and not misinformation, I think we are good to go,” Morgan said.