Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence Programme in Ghana

This February, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) in partnership with the Foundation delivered training for 60 teachers and 60 students in the Volta region. The cohort represented 22 schools. The training was facilitated by Marie Antoinette Corr GS of GTU (Gambia Teachers Union) and Rebecca Aidoo (NAGRAT).


The training was opened by Mama Adom Dakesi IV, queen mother of Gbi Kpoeta Traditional area in Hohoe and here is her speech.

NAGRAT Regional Chair, all dignitaries present, lovely students, Ladies and gentlemen, all protocols observed.

Today, I am reminded of the profound importance of addressing a topic that affects the health and dignity of women and girls worldwide: menstrual hygiene.


Menstrual hygiene is not just a matter of convenience; it is a fundamental aspect of women's health and well-being. It encompasses the practices and products necessary to manage menstruation in a safe and hygienic manner. From using clean and absorbent materials to maintaining proper personal hygiene, menstrual hygiene plays a crucial role in ensuring the health and dignity of women and girls.


Yet, despite its significance, many women and girls face barriers in accessing the necessary resources to manage their menstruation safely. The current surge in the price of sanitary pads has made it increasingly difficult for many to afford these essential products. This is a stark reality that we cannot ignore.


However, amidst these challenges, there is hope. I commend the organizers of this program for their initiative in teaching young girls how to make reusable sanitary pads. This innovative approach not only provides a sustainable solution but also empowers girls with the knowledge and skills to take control of their menstrual health.


But our efforts cannot stop here. We must come together as government, NGOs, and private organizations to ensure that all women and girls have access to affordable and sustainable menstrual hygiene products. Education and access are the cornerstones of progress in this regard, and we must spare no effort in ensuring that they are readily available to those in need.

Moreover, let us not forget the broader implications of poor menstrual hygiene. Beyond the physical health risks, there is also the insidious impact of social stigma and exclusion. In many communities, menstruation is still considered taboo, leading to discrimination and shame for those who menstruate. This must change, and it begins with education and awareness.

In conclusion, let me leave you with this thought: there is no limit to what you can achieve, regardless of your gender or circumstances. To all the young girls listening today, remember that you hold the power to shape your own future. With determination and resilience, you can overcome any obstacle and realize your dreams. As ambassadors let us try to teach your friends and family how to make reusable sanitary pads.


Let us continue to work together in pursuit of a world where menstrual hygiene is no longer a barrier but a basic human right.

Thank you.

Steve Sinnott Foundation • March 20, 2024

In Harmony With Peace Concert

By Ann Beatty • June 1, 2026
On Friday evening ( 29 May, 7.00 pm The Actors Church Covent Garden) we had the pleasure of listening to this very special concert, bringing together the Choir of King's College London and the Princeton High School Orchestra in a celebration of international friendship, collaboration, and shared values. This project reflects a commitment to peace, sustainability, equality, and cultural exchange, uniting young musicians from the United Kingdom and the United States through the universal language of music.

36 Bicycles. Countless Futures in The Gambia.

By Ann Beatty • May 20, 2026
How a simple act of practical solidarity is transforming the journey to school in The Gambia’s Central River Region North Policies have been written. Schools have been built. Yet for many children in The Gambia’s Central River Region North, access to education is still measured in kilometres, not opportunity. 

Education for Hope in Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous Times

By Laura Griffin • May 13, 2026
‘In a single hour vast tracts of shaded woodland became a jumble of torn trees and upturned soil, exposed to the glare of the summer sun. Such land-clearing events are rare, but forests exhibit remarkable resilience in the face of disaster. I’m told that the Chinese character for ‘catastrophe’ is the same as that which represents the word ‘opportunity’. And, the blowdown, while catastrophic, presented opportunities for many species.’ (Wall Kimmerer, 2003: 89). In the context of a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world (Stein, 2021) what kinds of education for hope might support children’s and young people’s critical engagement in local and global issues? In the spirit of exploring the possibilities of hope further, this short article focuses on the area of global citizenship and sustainabilityrelated education. It will briefly open by sharing commonalities across pedagogical approaches that take up the concept and act of hope more critically, and close by offering reflective questions for educators, with suggestions for further reading. Perhaps it is a kind of hope that is grounded in the present, in future reimagining(s), in ethical solidarity, and an acknowledgement of our deep entanglement with the living metabolism of planet earth 1 our singular home (UNESCO, 2021); a hope that engages with complex root causes and lived realities of multiple overlapping crises in critically reflexive and contextually relevant ways. As McCloskey notes, ‘Hope can fire our collective imagination and critical consciousness as a mainspring to activism and intervention in the world.’ (2025: 3). Commonalities across critical pedagogical approaches to hope include: Acknowledging the context of a ‘seamless single story of progress, development and human evolution’ (Andreotti, V.D.O., 2021b Relating to social and ecological justice and the wellbeing of people and planet Using participatory, action-orientated and inquiry-based learning processes Exploring diverse worldviews and perspectives Practising grounding in the present with opening up possibilities for change (relational, embodied, response-able 2 ) Experiencing ‘struggle’ in different forms (dialogical, selfreflexive, open-ended) Engaging individual and collective agency, action and activism Looking for lifelong and life-wide learning and unlearning. 1 See ‘Co-sensing with Radical Tenderness’, in Machado de Oliveira Andreotti. 2021a 2 See ‘Crossing Borders’ in 2 Depth Education “Depth Education and the Possibility of GCE Otherwise, 2021b. Source: Andreotti, V. 2021a & 2021b., Atif, A. (2025)., Bourn, D. 2021., Bryan. A. and Mochizuki,Y., 2024., Giroux, H.A. 2025., Meade, E. 2025. Whilst engaging in the concept and act of hope more critically reflect upon: What kinds of education for hope might you explore further and why? How might you provide generative spaces for engaging in diverse worldviews and perspectives? In what ways can you facilitate individual and collective agency? How might you support learners’ practice grounding in the present in order to relate differently? In what ways can you support learners in navigating complex root causes and lived realities of local and global issues? As Chief Ninawa Hini Kui affirms, ‘The future depends much less on the images we project ahead than on our capacity to repair relations and build relationships differently in the present.’ (Andreotti et al, 2023: 73. An invitation for further reading: Transformative Learning for a Sustainable Future . d’Abreu, C., Belgeonne, C., Bourn, D. and Hatley, J. (2025) ‘Transformative Learning for a Sustainable Future’. DERC Research Paper 24. London: UCL Institute of Education. Hospicing Modernity: facing humanity’s wrongs and the implications for social activism. Machado de Oliveira Andreotti, V. (2021a) ‘Hospicing Modernity: facing humanity’s wrongs and the implications for social activism’ , London: Penguin Random House. Development Education and Hope . McCloskey, S. (2025). (ed) ‘Development Education and Hope’. ‘Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review’ , Vol. 41, Autumn. Centre for Global Education, Belfast. Link to and download the full reference list here