Hope in Motion: A Menstrual Hygiene Scale-Up in Gambia

Location: Banjul & Greater Banjul Region, The Gambia

In early January 2025, the Okachi Charity Foundation proudly launched its inaugural Mestral Menstrual Hygiene Outreach in The Gambia. This cross-border initiative marked a significant milestone one that embodied our belief that dignity, education, and health are the birthright of every child, regardless of geography .

Led by Founder Ms. Faith Morey, the delegation paid a courtesy visit to Her Excellency Fatoumatta Bah Barrow, the First Lady of The Gambia. This meeting underscored shared aspirations to uplift underprivileged girls through improved hygiene, enhanced education, and systemic support.

Over the course of the outreach, OCF distributed more than 500 menstrual pads .

Our presence in The Gambia also served a larger strategic purpose. It elevated OCF’s regional footprint and opened a pathway for future partnerships with the Fatoumatta Bah Barrow Foundation, focusing on menstrual ’ education.

The work, however, is far from over. Prognostic indicators in both Nigeria and The Gambia suggest that period poverty, inadequate sanitation, and lack of menstrual education prevent tens of thousands of girls from accessing full-time schooling.

Our experience in The Gambia has been a resounding affirmation: when girls learn to manage menstruation with dignity, they stay in school and futures blossom. The visit has not only strengthened bonds across borders but also solidified OCF’s vision of a West African community where no girl is ever left behind by biology or circumstance.

As OCF moves forward, we extend this invitation to donors, governments, and partners: join us in scaling menstrual dignity into cultural transformation and academic opportunity for every girl, every school, every nation.