More than 1,000 school girls in mining communities in the Birim North District of the Eastern Region have received an estimated eight months’ supply of sanitary pads under a menstrual health initiative led by Zijin Golden Ridge Limited and the Ghana Chamber of Mines.
The programme, known as the Purple Peach Project, provided sanitary products and menstrual health education to 1,036 girls from schools in communities hosting the mining company’s operations.
Speaking at the launch, Senior Manager, Sustainability and External Relations at Zijin Golden Ridge Limited, Derek Boateng said investments in communities should extend beyond physical infrastructure to include initiatives that support education and wellbeing.
“Development is not only about roads and infrastructure. It is also about dignity and ensuring that no girl misses school or loses confidence because she lacks access to basic necessities,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, described the intervention as an investment in education and opportunity rather than a one-off donation.
“This is far more than a donation. It is an investment in dignity, confidence, education and the future of Ghana,” he said.
Dr. Ashigbey said the inability to afford menstrual hygiene products continues to contribute to school absenteeism among some girls and stressed that access to such products should not determine whether a child remains in school.
This is against the backdrop that many girls across the country miss school each month because they cannot afford menstrual hygiene products.
This, he reckoned, no child should have to choose between her health and her education, noting that the project’s ambition extends beyond supply.
He explained that the initiative also seeks to address the stigma surrounding menstruation through education and community engagement.
The project forms part of a broader community investment programme by Zijin Golden Ridge Limited in its host communities, covering education, infrastructure, livelihoods and social development initiatives in the Eastern Region.
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