Break The Taboo in 2022: A message from Ngaoundere, Cameroon, Jaika Kongnyuy
Break The Taboo in 2022:
Menstruation. Education. De-Stigmatization.
A message from Jaika Kongnyuy, PridePads Operations Manager
Ngaoundere, Cameroon
Warmest greetings to our wonderful and amazing PridePads Africa donors and community, and blessings to you all and your entire families.
My name is Jaika Kongnyuy and I am the PridePads Operations Manager in Ngaoundere, Cameroon. I was born in 1961 at Kumbo Bui Division in the NW Region. My parents were both Muslims and I grew up as a Muslim before marrying a Catholic and converting to Christianity. As a Muslim girl in those days I was very fortunate because I was able to go to school. My parents pushed aside all odds from their Muslim brothers who only sent their girls to early marriages as per their faith. And for this reason, I will never stop thanking God Almighty for my very dear parents.
After my high school studies l was able to attend the school of sports and physical education teaching and graduated in 1987. I taught in several schools and in 2014 l was appointed the Sub Divisional Delegate for Sports and Physical Education for Jakiri SubDivision, a post l held until I retired in 2018. I went to Divisional, Regional, and National finals with female players and I have a host of medals that were won.
Many girls were always menstruating during these trips and I was always advising them. I had a great passion to work with girls early in my retirement so I started Destiny Striders Sports Academy and then the Covid crisis came and interrupted the project. PridePads is like a dream come true to me and I am so so happy to be part of PridePads Africa.
For women, menstruation should be a source of pride, not shame. Breaking the taboo on menstruation gives girl students as many opportunities for studies as boy students already get. Prevention is better than a cure, and with menstrual health education girls now know that menstruation is natural and normal and they will feel very free. Most of all, with the free distribution of PridePads, girls from vulnerable homes will not miss their studies anymore.
Education is a necessity and it assures the future of each and every girl in terms of reasoning, behavior, earning potential, and physical and mental well-being. It is clear that if you educate a girl, then you have educated the whole nation because she will in turn educate her children, and so on and so forth.
Please join me in standing with PridePads Africa and consider making a donation to secure girl’s education, future, and pride in menstruation.