The Member of Parliament for Zabzugu, Alhassan Umar Abaako, has distributed mathematical sets to 1,136 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates in the constituency, alongside sanitary pads for junior high school girls, in a move aimed at easing barriers to education.
Each candidate received a maths set ahead of the exams, while nearly 2,000 girls across junior high schools in the district benefited from the distribution of sanitary pads.
Speaking during the presentation, Abaako urged candidates to remain focused and avoid malpractice.
“We are here to wish you well in your exams and we are with you in prayers. My advice to you is that please do not engage in any form of exam malpractice. Just try your best and the Almighty Allah will surely see you through,” he said.
He said the intervention was necessary as many students and their families struggle to afford essential examination materials.
“This support will go a long way to help the candidates. This could have been a challenge for most parents but with this, I think it will lessen their burden,” he added.
On the distribution of sanitary pads, the MP said the initiative was designed to address absenteeism among girls during menstruation.
“This is my support for the girls. I know the challenge many have in affording pads and this is going to assist them. Usually many girls absent themselves from school simply because they’re unable to afford pads,” he said.
Some beneficiaries described the gesture as timely, with one student saying, “I actually didn’t have one and I didn’t know where to get one. This is going to help me greatly and I am happy.”
The initiative forms part of the MP’s broader commitment to improving access to education in the constituency, particularly for vulnerable students.
