To mark this year’s International Boys Day and Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Day, the Ruby Awareness Initiative Foundation, a non-profit organisation, has generously provided hygienic kits to 300 male and female students in Delta State.
The donation, part of a one-day Students’ Forum organised for public and private secondary schools in the state capital, Asaba, on Thursday, June 5, 2025, is part of the foundation’s outreach to empower underprivileged children.
Focused primarily on supporting and grooming the boy-child, Ruby Initiative also extended its gesture to the girl-child by presenting menstrual packs and antiperspirants to select schoolgirls.
The boys received body care packs, including hair care products, skin care essentials, and towels.
Speaking at the event titled “Empowering the Next Generation for a Healthier Tomorrow”, founder of the Ruby Awareness Initiative Foundation, Miss Omonigho Oborevwori, shared the heartfelt journey that led to the birth of the foundation.
She recounted how her experience as a caregiver for children with special needs during her college years in the United Kingdom inspired her to establish an NGO dedicated to uplifting and supporting young boys.
“The Ruby Awareness Initiative Foundation was born out of something deeply personal—a yearning to be more than a bystander in the face of suffering.
It came from seeing, listening, and feeling the silent pain that many children, especially boys, carry,” she said.
Miss Oborevwori emphasised the foundation’s mission of raising a generation of boys who are seen, heard, and supported—boys who are not afraid to feel, learn, and lead.
She stressed that change begins with collective effort, encouraging all present to support the foundation in its commitment to empowering young lives.
In her remarks, the special guest of honour and wife of the Delta State Governor, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, praised the vision behind the Ruby Initiative and pledged her support in ensuring its objectives were achieved.
Represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Ezinne Catherine Onyeme, she commended the foundation for recognising the struggles of the modern-day boy-child and taking action to equip them with vital skills and mental health resources.
“Over the years, the boy-child was seen as the pride of the African family, but today, we are witnessing a collapse in the scheme of things. More than ever, male children are caught up in various vices in society, which calls for help. That is why we are here to drum support for the Ruby Foundation,” she stated.
Deaconess Oborevwori also reaffirmed that her foundation, You Matter Charity Foundation, will work alongside Ruby Initiative to strengthen efforts toward supporting young boys and girls.
She urged parents to take responsibility for mentoring and morally uplifting their sons, emphasising that empowering the boy-child benefits the entire society.
The event featured a lecture series on Mental Wellness, Puberty, Self-care & Personal Hygiene, and Career Talk by experts, including Dr. Israel Adaigho, Dr. Onyi Owa-Nwabuzo, and Mrs. Veronica Abang-Dove.
Students also showcased spoken-word performances, while a drama presentation highlighting the challenges faced by the boy-child was also displayed.
In a chat with one of the beneficiaries, Master Dami Atsenuwa, a SS 2 student of the Infant Jesus Academy, Asaba, commended the founder for giving the boy child a voice in the society. He also expressed appreciation for the hygiene kits given to the students.
