From a Chance Encounter to a Call for Action: Meeting Damilola and Darasimi

One day, while walking along the road, I met two beautiful young girls, Damilola and Darasimi, both in SS3. Smiling, I approached them jokingly and said, “You both look so beautiful.” They immediately blushed and smiled shyly.

Curious and passionate about understanding girls’ experiences, I asked, “Have you started your period?”

They both confidently replied, “Yes!”

I followed up with another question:

“How do you take care of yourselves during your menstrual days?”

Their response made me happy. They explained that they changed their sanitary pads at least twice a day and sometimes three times during heavier flows. I felt relieved knowing these girls understood menstrual hygiene.

I then asked how they managed to get sanitary pads regularly.

“Our mums buy them for us,” they answered.

Smiling, I replied, “That’s wonderful. Your mums are doing a great job.”

Then I asked a question that changed everything:

“I’m glad you both are informed about menstrual hygiene, but do you know there are still many girls who are not?”

They nodded immediately.

“Yes,” they said. “There are girls in our class who still don’t know.”

They told me about a classmate who did not know how to use sanitary pads. During her menstrual cycle, she would wear multiple panties and shorts under her uniform. According to them, she often became withdrawn and stopped participating in activities.

Hearing this deeply touched me.

At that moment, I knew I needed to visit their school and hear directly from other girls who might be struggling in silence.

Excitedly, they gave me directions and assured me I would be welcomed.

I smiled and said:

“I’ll be happy to meet just 50 girls when I come to your school.”

Their faces lit up instantly.

“Sister, yes! No problem. We’ll be happy to meet you.”

Before leaving, I offered to give them sanitary pads immediately, but they politely replied:

“No, Sister. We’ll collect them when you come to our school because right now, you’re a stranger.”

We all laughed.

A few days later, I visited the school and what I saw broke my heart.

The classrooms were in poor condition, the environment was not conducive for learning, and signs of hardship were visible all around. I couldn’t stop thinking:

If the learning conditions are this difficult, how are these girls managing their menstrual health?

As I spoke with the girls, the reality became even more heartbreaking.

Some shared that when they could not afford sanitary pads, they used leaves, rough cloths, or multiple layers of underwear. Some had never used a sanitary pad before and did not even know how to use one.

At that moment, I realized I could not stop at reaching just 50 girls.

Despite limited resources, we expanded the outreach to 100 girls, providing menstrual hygiene education, personal care guidance, and sanitary support.

While I am grateful for the impact we made, the truth remains: this is still not enough.

Too many girls are suffering in silence. Too many are losing confidence and dignity because of poverty and lack of awareness.

At Preshh BlossomGirls Initiative, we believe no girl should have to use leaves during her period. No girl should be denied dignity because of her circumstances.

We cannot do this alone.

Together, we can provide menstrual hygiene education, sanitary support, and hope to girls who need it most.

Because every girl deserves to blossom. 💜

This version is around 35–40% shorter, reads better for a website article, and still keeps her personal storytelling and exact conversational moments.