Организация «Pink Diva» расширит программу по гигиене и лидерству для слабослышащих девушек в Лагосе

A NGO, the Pink Diva Organization says it will continue to promote inclusive education by expanding menstrual health education and leadership development to more hearing-impaired girls. The organization’s Teenage Founder, Miss Ayomide Akran, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos. Akran said the organization was committed to ensuring that hearing-impaired girls enjoy equal opportunities with their hearing peers. She said that the commitment followed the success of its recently concluded inclusion advocacy programme tagged, “Flow Forward: Silent No More.” Akran said the programme, implemented in partnership with Ashoka Africa and Kwanda, was held in two inclusive public secondary schools in Surulere and Ikorodu, with 80 hearing-impaired girls participating. The teenage founder of the Pink Diva Organization and convener of the programme identified the participating schools as Ipakodo Junior High School, Ikorodu and State Senior Grammar School (Special), Surulere. She said the participants received practical lessons on menstrual health, personal hygiene, self-advocacy, peer mentorship and leadership through sign language and other accessible educational materials. “We introduced Flow Forward to bridge the information gap that denies hearing-impaired girls access to menstrual health education, empowering them with knowledge, confidence, dignity, leadership and lasting peer support. “As part of the programme’s achievements, we established two Flow Forward luminaries and eight peer support circles to sustain menstrual health education, mentorship and leadership beyond the project’s completion,” she said. Akran said participating teachers also received specialized training to strengthen their capacity to support hearing-impaired learners, promote inclusive classrooms and improve learning outcomes. According to her, every girl deserves access to accurate menstrual health information, confidence and leadership opportunities, regardless of disability. The Pink Diva founder said inclusion meant removing barriers that prevented equal participation, dignity and future success. “The programme demonstrated that accessible menstrual health education equips hearing-impaired girls with the confidence, leadership skills and knowledge needed to become peer educators within their schools,” she said. She noted that one of the highlights of the programme was seeing participants confidently educate their classmates, including boys, thereby helping to break stigma and promote empathy, shared responsibility and understanding. “Seeing the girls confidently teach their peers confirmed that accessible information builds confidence, nurtures leadership and dispels harmful misconceptions surrounding menstrual health,” she added. Akran commended the Lagos State Government, the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Education Districts II and IV, school principals, teachers and development partners for supporting the programme’s successful implementation. She specifically acknowledged Ashoka Africa and Kwanda for their continuous encouragement, monitoring visits and constructive feedback, noting that their support strengthened implementation and enhanced the programme’s impact. Looking ahead, she said the organization planned to expand the initiative to more inclusive, mainstream and special schools across Lagos State, enabling more girls to benefit from accessible menstrual health education. “Our commitment remains unwavering because no girl should miss essential health information simply because disability or inaccessible communication creates barriers to learning and personal development,” she said. Akran called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, schools, disability organizations and development partners to advance inclusive education and empower more girls across the state to realize their full potential. Also speaking, Dr Akhere Akran, an inclusive education specialist and mother of the organization’s founder, applauded the initiative, saying her daughter developed a passion for inclusion through values nurtured at home and within the foundation. “Ayomide grew up understanding that every child deserves equal opportunities. I am proud that she has transformed those values into Flow Forward, ensuring that hearing-impaired girls are not left behind,” Akran said. (NAN).