Support for menstrual health for girls in India

Kajal is 17 years old and a single-parent girl. Her mother expired when she was just seven years old. Now she lives with her father and a younger sister. She said, "When I got my first period, I was alone; no one could tell me about the periods, what happened to me, or why I was bleeding? Many questions in my mind created a disturbance and lose my confidence to do regular activities. I faced many challenges as I did not know what to do”.

She said, "It was a winter morning when I got my first period. I didn’t hear about it before. My school teachers did not tell me about periods, as well as none of my friends knew about it. They just laughed by hiding their faces. I was puzzled. I stopped going outside and stayed at home for a few days. That was a tough time for me. I asked help from my aunty who gave me an old piece of cloth the cloth gave me a nasty smell, and she pointed me to use it to soak the bleeding. Since then, I only used cloth because I didn't know the other options".

Kajal said, "last year, I attended the menstruation awareness workshop that the Indian Dreams Foundation in my community organized. I learned about the scientific process of menstruation and why it is important for every girl. The cloth that I was using is not hygienic and can create severe problems in regular usage. I received a packet of sanitary pads along with Smiley Days hygiene kit during the workshop which is a life-changing solution for me. Now I started to be aware of the other girls/neighbours about menstruation and advantages of using sanitary pads”.

She added, “Today I say confidently that I am a Proud Girl”.  

Though, Indian Dreams Foundation is rigorously working to achieve a positive impact through the Smiley Days program in the slums of Agra (India). We always need your support & motivation to achieve a high impact on the large masses.

Thank you so much for your support & well- wishes.

Regards,

Team IDF