“If Not for This Club, I Would Have Left School” — Aisha’s Story of Courage and Change

In the classroom at Fogoli Junior Secondary School in Jere LGA, Borno State, change was quietly unfolding. It was around 10:15 am during break time when the ZEGCAWIS Programs Team arrived for a routine monitoring visit of the ongoing Adolescent Gender and Menstrual Hygiene Champions Club session. The session was part of ZEGCAWIS’s commitment to ensuring girls' retention in school, irrespective of barriers that can hinder them, including school-related gender-based violence and menstruation, with funding from Malala Fund. The club was led by peer instructor Hauwa; the session on this particular morning had taken a reflective turn. To encourage interaction, Hauwa posed a simple but powerful question to the girls seated before her: “What have you learned through this session?” Hands shot up with enthusiasm. One after the other, the girls shared how the club had taught them about menstrual hygiene, self-confidence, standing against gender-based violence, and the importance of staying in school. Then, a name was randomly called from among the raised hands: Aisha Mustapha, a 16-year-old student who had quietly joined the session. What Aisha said next brought a wave of silence across the room. With her eyes fixed on the desk in front of her and a voice that trembled but remained steady, she said: “If not for this club, I would have left this school. Aunty Hauwa always talks about many things that are happening in my life. I am an orphan; nobody is supporting me. But she taught us how to use alternative ways to manage our menstruation and still come to school without thinking less of ourselves. Here, everybody knows that a stain is not a funny thing.” In that moment, Aisha’s story encapsulated the essence of what the intervention stands for, empowering girls with knowledge, tools, and the confidence to overcome barriers that keep them from reaching their full potential. For Aisha, menstruation was not just a biological experience; it was a monthly source of shame, absence from school, and diminished self-worth. But through the safe and supportive environment of the club, she gained knowledge about menstrual hygiene, learned to access dignity kits, and most importantly, realized she was not alone. Her courage to speak out, to own her story in front of her peers, became a moment of transformation, not just for her, but for every girl in the room who might have silently faced similar struggles.