For years, menstruation meant missed lessons, interrupted learning and diminished confidence for many girls attending Nana Appaitu D/A JHS Amanase Asare Panyin D/A JHS in Amanase, a farming community near Suhum in Ghana’s Eastern Region. Unfortunately, this is the story for many girls in some rural communities.Without proper washroom facilities, many girls were forced to stay home during their menstrual periods or leave school midway through the day because they had nowhere safe and dignified to change their sanitary pads. Beyond affecting their education, the situation also impacted their health, self-esteem and overall wellbeing.That reality is expected to change following the commissioning of two newly constructed school washroom facilities under the Menstrual Dignity Project, an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiative led by the CEIBS GEMBA 2025 cohort in partnership with Fairafric Ghana Limited.The project, officially handed over on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, addressed menstrual health through three key interventions: comprehensive menstrual hygiene education, the distribution of sanitary hygiene kits and the construction of two dedicated washroom facilities for the two schools.The day’s activities began with an educational session for students, where health facilitators spoke openly about menstruation, proper menstrual hygiene practices and confidence building. The programme also sought to break long-held myths surrounding menstruation while encouraging both girls and boys to better understand menstrual health and support one another.More than 250 girls from the two schools received menstrual hygiene kits containing more three months’ worth of both reusable and disposable sanitary pads, an educational brochure answering frequently asked questions about menstruation, a face towel and a backpack to support their schooling.The afternoon ceremony saw the official handover of the new facilities, comprising a six-unit washroom block for Amanase Asare Panyin D/A JHS and a three-unit washroom block for Nana Appaitu D/A JHS.The event brought together traditional authorities, education officials, parents, community members, partner and donors from CEIBS GEMBA 2025 and fairafric Ghana Limited representatives. In his remarks, Nana Justice Ametefe commended the partners for what had been done for the community and appealed for the support to continue, signaling that the town views the project as a starting point rather than a one-off gesture.Rev. Alexanda Amaya Narh, the District Director of Education for Ayensuano, struck a similar note, describing the scale and design of the intervention as something the district had not previously experienced. He called it an unprecedented gesture, and one that should encourage further investment from organizations willing to look closely at the everyday barriers facing rural schools.Speaking on behalf of fairafric Ghana Limited, the company’s Managing Director – Michael Marmon-Halm reaffirmed that community-impact projects of this kind sit at the core of the organization’s mission. He spoke on the reason the organization partnered with CEIBS GEMBA 2025 for this project as “they realized there was a big challenge within the community where girls leave school or completely stay out when they go through this period of menstruation. A very natural process become a stigma they have to deal with”. He committed to continued support for Amanase and encouraged residents to treat the new facilities not merely as donated infrastructure, but as an asset to be protected and maintained, framing sustained community ownership as essential to the project’s long-term value.Mr. Kai Huang, chairman of the CEIBS Gemba 2025 ESG committee, told the gathering that the group was elated by the tangible difference the project had already made, a sentiment he linked to the broader purpose of the cohort’s ESG initiative: translating classroom learning into measurable change in the communities where it is needed most.The official handover was marked by the signing of handover documents by representatives of the donor team and the beneficiary schools, witnessed by community leaders and education officials. This was followed by the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, ribbon-cutting and a guided inspection of the new facilities.For the students of Amanase, the project represents much more than new buildings.It offers privacy where there was once none, dignity where there was discomfort, and confidence where there was uncertainty.By combining menstrual health education with practical support and improved sanitation infrastructure, the Menstrual Dignity Project is expected to help reduce absenteeism among girls, improve school retention and create a more inclusive learning environment for all students.As the celebrations came to an end, smiles from students, teachers and parents reflected a shared hope that no girl in Amanase will again have to choose between managing her period and staying in school.