Anambra governor’s wife and founder of the non-governmental crusade, Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has set up a Healthy Living Pad Bank and inaugurated a Healthy Living Club in Anambra State College of Health Technology, ASCoHT, Obosi.
The initiation of both programmes into the school was to mark the World Menstrual Hygiene Day, which the governor’s wife observed with students of the college.
The school becomes the first tertiary institution in the state where both the school club programme and pad bank initiative would be set up, having already been successfully set up in over 300 secondary schools in Anambra State.
Addressing the students, the governor’s wife, Mrs Soludo, commended the school for already putting into action the cardinal modules of healthy living, most especially as it relates to personal and environmental hygiene.
She said that the pad bank, which will be refilled at the beginning of every academic semester, will help female students take care of menstrual emergencies and eliminate stigma and pressure that often arise from such issue when it is unattended to.
Mrs Soludo also explained that the presence of a healthy living club in the college will also help the students to understand the basics of right health and inspire them to use the experience to help their families and communities.
The governor’s wife further promised to keep coming by to check on the activities of the newly set up club and applauded the school’s head for pledging to lead the programme.
On his part, the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, said that the institution is important in moving the healthy living initiative because of the primary experience of the students in health and the enthusiasm that they have shown to getting involved in the whole process.
He highlighted the interventions of the state government in the infrastructural growth of the institution, including the newly-built muliti-purpose block, and explained that Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration is passionate about sustaining the legacy of the institution as one of the best in the country.
Earlier, the Provost of the institution, Mr. Daniel Ezeobi disclosed that Mrs Soludo was the first Anambra governor’s wife to visit the institution since its creation, and commended her for choosing the college as the first tertiary institution to set up the pad bank initiative and healthy living club programme.
He pledged to personally lead the programme and noted that every student of the college will be involved in giving the programme the right energy to be successful.
Highlights of the event were drama and performances that portrayed the essence of hygiene and healthy living.
The governor’s wife also donated packs of pads to start off the pad bank project and also made cash donations to help the institution procure sports equipment for the healthy living club programme.
