Anjolaoluwa Abiosun
Nigeria has over 23 million female children, with some parents finding it difficult to discuss and teach pertinent topics like the menstruation process to their girl child.
For the average girl child, there is this excitement that comes with getting your first period because it marks a stage of maturity.
However, it also comes with a feeling of fear and shame when you go to the stores to purchase your sanitary needs and meet a man at the counter.
The feeling of wanting to enter the deepest parts of the ground because the salesperson is a man is not a shame young women should feel, and this stems from the knowledge the average girl child has on menstruation which is mostly nothing. Aside from the pep talk on ‘you have now become a woman’, most parents overlook the need for an informed discussion on the topic.
Praise Oluwarinu is changing the game. With her Period Talk Card Game, young children can gain the knowledge they need to understand the phase their body is going through and propel a parent-to-daughter conversation that would aid sensitization.
“When we talk about periods, there’s a lot of shame around it. You’ll see a lady buying pads, and they’re asking the sales attendants to double the nylon because they don’t want anybody to see that they’re buying pads. I mean, this is something that every average girl goes through. Hiding or feeling shame about it just didn’t make sense to me; the more we keep hiding to ourselves, the more we have problems,” Praise said in an interview with 234star.
Before the Period Talk Game, she started her brand, Yadah’s box. Yadah’s box, a care box brand that curates boxes for women during their menstrual period, was founded by Praise in 2020. At the time, people did not take care boxes, and very few people were into care boxes internationally.
Since 2020, She has been noting patterns and is open to understanding women’s needs. She has also been at the receiving end of conversations regarding myths on menstruation that have thrived because of lack of knowledge. All these contributed to her passion to foster conversations for young children on menstruation.
The average woman menstruates until she is in her late 40s, but very few women understand how their bodies work enough to care for themselves or even teach their children. With the lack of conversations, shame has crept into every conversation about periods, although over 49.4% of Nigeria’s population are women.
It might seem like there is no harm in shame until you hear what information spreads because people avoid the topic. From myths on sex reducing menstrual cramps to people telling you feeling excruciating pain during your period is normal.
“When I started my period, I realized my cramps were not regular. As early as 12, I had to be going to the hospital for drip because I was on my period. Every time people would hear it would sound so strange to them, but no one took it seriously. I didn’t get a diagnosis until my second or third year in university, and I’ve had this cramp since my junior secondary school.
Every time I talk, I remember there was a teacher who told me that am I the first to go through my period, why am I shouting about it?” Praise said.
This experience propelled Praise to take on menstrual sensitization for young girls in a unique and fun way with her new card game – the Period Talk Game.
The Period Talk Game is a card game that comprises 30 decks of cards. Each of the cards has questions that help educate the child on their menstrual cycle. These cards are split into two sections; the educative section and the fun section.
Like in a game of Whot, the parties playing the game, preferably with adult supervision, take turns answering questions on the menstrual process as stated on the card.
“The main idea behind the game is actually menstrual education, and I don’t think you can take away that element of having somebody say, oh, you know what? When I started my period ten years ago, this was something that happened when I started.”
To guide their questions, tips that would guide the answers are also included and could possibly spark conversations between the adult and the young girls playing the game, which could lead to a much more educative and fun conversation.
“Each of the cards has a tip, the tip is not necessarily answering the question, but it’s to direct the line of answers that each question gets. So, for example, why do I have cramps, and my friend doesn’t have cramps? The tip will be something along the lines of every woman’s body is different, but if your cramps are getting too much, please see a gynaecologist.”
For the fun questions, there are ‘never have I ever’ games and questions on having period sisters and red rituals with tips on these terms.
According to her, ensuring that girls could learn about their periods correctly and in a fun way and just taking away that element of shame when it comes to periods was pertinent.
However, it’s one thing for sensitization to take place, and it’s another for women to be able to afford sanitary pads. A pack of sanitary pads with an average of 10 pieces costs as high as ₦400. A woman has to use at least one pack for her cycle, money which most Nigerians can’t afford.
According to Statista, over 40% of Nigerians live in poverty, equating to over 80 million people. It’s one thing for well-meaning citizens to create solutions to impending problems of knowledge bankruptcy; it’s another for the government to do their part to make life easier.
Praise Oluwarinu with her limited resources is on her journey to creating the foremost period care brand in Nigeria, and she is doing it exceptionally.
The Period Talk Game can be ordered via their social media pages at yadahsbox on Twitter and Instagram.
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