Our OD Young Person of the Month is Maureen Jesse is from Nigeria. She is a passionate, enthusiastic, and purpose-driven person with leadership qualities. Maureen is also the director of the GIRL HYGIENE initiative and a girl child advocate. As a humanitarian volunteer, Maureen Jesse has worked on a variety of other initiatives, such as the youth engagement day in 2022.
Read her amazing story below and be inspired.
MAUREEN JESSE
Maureen Jesse is the director of the Girl Hygiene Initiative where she and her team distributed sanitary pads, pocket soaps, and tampons to 500 young women and girls as part of the GIRL HYGIENE project.
This is one of her most renowned initiatives. The project also taught 54 girls how to produce reusable sanitary pads using soft cotton fabrics.
Growing up as a child she had menstrual challenges and as a result of her struggles as a child, she has dedicated her life to helping women and girls gain access to menstrual hygiene kits.
On How She Began
Maureen was chosen to serve in the Taraba State Children’s Parliament in Nigeria in 2016 due to her way of life. As a result, she was able to influence young women and girls through the programs she ran for her constituency. She started looking for ways to address the problems associated with menstruation in women and girls out of a strong desire to change things.
She was chosen as a 2022 millennium fellow under the Millennium Campus Network, where she participated in a number of management and leadership development sessions. Through the fellowship, she and three of her team members established the STOOP TO CONQUER project, which continues to have an impact on the lives of young girls in school and other community members by distributing hygiene kits, planting trees in schools, starting book clubs in some of the schools, and organizing an exhibition of posters on gender equality in the educational system. this marked the beginning of her inspiration.
On Her Successes
Maureen through her initiative has provided 120 sanitary pads to support young girls at two (2) different secondary schools as part of her support for the #lets support young girls campaigns in the city of Jalingo, Taraba State Nigeria.
She continued by founding an NGO to carry out this mission. She and her team distributed sanitary pads, pocket soaps, and tampons to 500 young women and girls as part of the GIRL HYGIENE project, which is one of her most renowned initiatives. The project also assists in teaching 54 girls how to produce reusable sanitary pads using soft cotton fabrics. She thinks this is just the beginning for her.
On Her Challenges And Future Plans
By 2030, we will have a society where every girl does not have to suffer menstrual imbalance but rather live boldly and fearless raising great young girls for further impact by empowering and supporting 5000 girls with hygiene kits. Maureen says.
Concerning challenges, she emphasizes that her journey has never been easy. She has been through financial challenges yet she never gave up instead she rose above the obstacle of finance by tasking herself in her little way then people began to support and volunteer. Maureen believes she can solve problems in her small ways and continue building till she achieves her highest ambitions.
Her Words Of Advice For The Youths
My advice to young people out there is to put yourself out there and not be afraid to fail. Always remember why you are doing what you are doing and don’t wait for anybody to believe in you. Believe in yourself and choose never to fail. Give out your contribution to the world!
Who will be the next Young Person of the Month?
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