By Eniola Akinsipe
Female secondary school students have been encouraged to uphold good hygiene and emotional stability as vital components of their overall growth and development.
The call was made on Monday during the distribution of essential personal-care items at Yejide Girls’ Grammar School, Molete, Ibadan.
The initiative was carried out by the Mary Eriya Foundation House of Refuge in partnership with the Guildance Community Development Foundation. Items distributed included sanitary towels, wipes, lip gloss, hand cream, and body spray.
Speaking on behalf of the Mary Eriya House of Refuge Foundation, its president, Prince Ismail Adeyemi, who was represented by his sister, Princess Adebunmi Adeyemi,
emphasised the significance of hygiene and emotional stability for every girl.
Delivering a lecture titled, “Caring for Her Whole Self: The Power of Hygiene and Emotional Strength,” he said that every girl deserves to feel clean, safe and comfortable in her body and must be properly guided through adolescence.
“Many girls grow up without proper guidance. Some are shy to ask questions, some lack access to products, and others feel embarrassed about natural body changes. Your body is beautiful. Your body is natural. Your body deserves care without shame.”
“From bathing properly, caring for the skin, washing clothes, keeping the environment clean and understanding menstrual hygiene, these are not things to hide or fear,” he said.
Adeyemi maintained that a girl who understands hygiene becomes more confident and carries herself with dignity.
“We must build homes, schools, and communities where girls feel safe to express themselves. Let us protect the dignity of every girl and build a world where girls feel safe, in their bodies, and in their hearts. A clean body, a calm mind, a confident girl: that is the future we choose today,” he added.
President-General of the Guildance Community Development Foundation, Mr Kabiru Adeniyi Adisa, explained that the donated items were meant not only to support the girls’ physical well-being but also to remind them that self-care and personal hygiene are important aspects of self-respect, confidence and empowerment.
He encouraged the students to make the most of every opportunity to learn, grow, and uplift themselves.
“Be confident, be bold, and believe in your potential. Never forget that you have the power to shape your future, influence your community, and inspire generations to come,” he said.
Delivering a presentation titled “Girl Empowerment, Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Balance,” medical practitioner Dr Taiwo Aderemi highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence and emotional balance in helping young girls navigate life successfully.
He identified five quotients crucial for development: intelligence, emotional, social, adversity, and native intelligence, the last of which, he noted, is acquired informally.
According to him, emotional intelligence forms a link between the other quotients.
Aderemi explained that while the intelligence quotient ensures academic competence, the social quotient enables individuals to form and sustain friendships, fostering networks that become valuable throughout life.
He further stated that people who balance these quotients, even if they do not possess the highest IQ, tend to go further in life than those who rely solely on intellectual ability.
“That is why, in our society today, those with strong social and emotional quotients often employ people who may have very high intelligence quotients,” he noted.
Dr. Aderemi said the discussion aimed to ensure that students build healthy relationships and live happily. He added that the school environment brings together individuals of diverse religious backgrounds, ethnic groups, and social statuses and should therefore be free from discrimination while promoting values that support wholesome living.
In her remarks, Mrs Mary Eriya, founder of the Mary Eriya Foundation, advised the students to maintain good behaviour and hygiene wherever they find themselves. She also encouraged them to avoid sexual immorality and to make proper use of the items provided.
Earlier, in her address of welcome, the School Principal, Mrs Titilayo Olalekan, expressed appreciation to the foundation for the gesture and assured that the students would use the items effectively.
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