The training began on Monday, March 10, 2025 and targeted selected female and male teachers and schoolgirls across the Wa Metropolitan area. The aim is to reduce school absenteeism among girls due to menstruation. Rebecca Ocran Abaidoo, the National Gender Desk Coordinator of NAGRAT, highlighted the importance of the training and advised the girls against trading their bodies for sanitary pads. “Nobody has the right to touch our bodies. We must stand firm and say, ‘Don’t touch me’. Just as a male teacher would not allow anyone to molest his daughter, we must refuse to be perpetrators of this crime,” she stated. She encouraged participants to take the training seriously in order to gain necessary knowledge and skills. Harrun Ussfi Kadiri, the Upper West Regional Chairman of NAGRAT, emphasized that menstrual health is a crucial aspect of well-being, yet it is often surrounded by silence, misinformation and barriers to proper care. He added that this training would help change that mentality by equipping girls with the skills and confidence to make their own reusable pads. “It must be noted that Upper West is the second of the 16 regions to host this training, and we commend the support and efforts of NAGRAT and the Steve Sinnott Foundation,” he stated. Razak Korah, the Upper West Regional Director of Education, mentioned that the training will help improve menstrual hygiene management, reduce the risk of reproductive tract infections and increase school attendance and retention rates among girls. He also noted that it will enhance the dignity and self-esteem of girls and women. “Unfortunately, many of our girls and women lack access to affordable and hygienic menstrual products, which leads to absenteeism, discomfort and embarrassment in our schools,” he remarked. The beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to NAGRAT and the Steve Sinnott Foundation for their tireless efforts in organising such a valuable training program. Rebecca told us that the training was invaluable and that everyone was included. Students from Wa School for visual impairment composed a song at the end of the School Related Gender Based violence training to share with other schools and communities. Watch the song here There is still much work to be done as we were overwhelmed with numbers of participants on the second day as many who were not invited came and we could not turn them away. All of the participants were engaged and enjoyed the training. We are making an impact by working together. Thank you to the Steve Sinnott Foundation for working in partnership with us.

The UNESCO UK Associated Schools Programme Network (ASPnet) Seeds of Hope for a Better Future project supports UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals and ASPnet’s key action areas - promoting peace, sustainability and intercultural learning and heritage, especially in the context of the challenges of climate change. The 2025 Competition seeks to inspire young people and key partners (educators, artists, scientists and others) to work together to create legacy arts and culture projects for the benefit of local, national and international communities and to reflect the importance of protecting and improving the bio-diversity of seeds against the impact of climate change. Young people and their partners are asked to create Seeds of Hope art works/stories in partnership with others. (see: Seeds of Hope for a Better Future – Part 1: Creating Seeds of Hope Stories ) (see also Kew resource links ) . Competition Brief “Imagine you are a seed." Create an artwork that describes your value – as a seed – to the world and your geographical origins. Art works should tell the story about how you – as a seed – must adapt to survive because local weather patterns and conditions have changed and are beginning to make your life perilous. The competition brief above is just an idea to inspire you, you may have another idea of how to interpret Seeds of Hope for a Better Future and share your work. The competition seeks to encourage and inspire young people and their partners to use a range of artistic expressions to create impactful arts and culture legacy projects for the benefit of others. Artwork examples could include: Art works, which can be a gallery exhibition or community art work for long-term display in a prominent outdoor space/public indoor area, and/or a touring exhibition. Illustrated poems/short stories as the focus of presentation for local poetry/story festivals or widely circulated through a variety of print media, such as books/flip books, posters, leaflets or other graphic formats. Digital illustrations using photography/film/animation circulated through social and other public media formats or exhibitions. Performance and/or installation art, such as a young people’s play/opera/musical theatre/dance/installation art/sculpture park. All artwork making a positive contribution to the project’s mission, aims and objectives will be received and shared via the UNESCO ASPnet National Coordinators. About Participation - PARTICIPATION FORM If you are interested in entering the competition, we cordially invite you to consult the Competition Rules and Guidelines and to contact your UNESCO ASPnet National Coordinator for further guidance about participating. PARTICIPATION FORM Good luck everyone! We look forward to seeing how your seeds of inspiration will help communities grow…!