Support for menstrual health for girls in India

Hello friends,

Greetings from Indian Dreams Foundation!

“Menstruation is an integral and normal part of female life, indeed of human existence. Menstrual hygiene is fundamental to the dignity and wellbeing of women and girls and an important part of basic hygiene, sanitation and reproductive health services to which every woman and girl has a right. While many of us take it for granted, there are a considerable amount of people who do not have access to adequate sanitary facilities. Young girls and women living in slums of Agra, Uttar Pradesh India belongs to the latter group. Slums have a number of hygiene issues such as lack of access to clean drinking water and toilets, but women face additional problems due to menstruation. Unhygienic practices during menstruation have a lifelong impact on these girls”.

The Indian Dreams Foundation (IDF) is dedicated to spreading the importance of health, hygiene and proper sanitation to as many people through “Smiley Days” program that aims to spread awareness around this taboo topic in the slums of Agra. Its main goal is to address female health and hygiene issues by promoting menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls and women in slums, rural and backward communities. The program seeks to bridge the gap between assumptions and information on menstruation by imparting knowledge to adolescent girls and providing them with access to right information, knowledge and facilities.

IDF thanks to you all for supporting this project and helping us to transform the lives of thousands of girls and women in previous years. With this way and energy, we are hoping to reach more than 10000 beneficiaries this year and we are sure with the support we can reach our target.

IDF has collected many stories from the field that impacted the success of this project, however few of them we have already shared with you in our reports and we have our eyes open on other stories too in coming days.  

Today I feel proud to share our community volunteers’ reviews on the project;

“When I started work with Smiley Days, I really able to understand the meaning & importance of women’s empowerment for the family, for the society and even for the entire nation. The Smiley Days helps to empower adolescent girls & young women towards their healthy lives. It’s my pleasure to be a part of the Smiley Days Project that helps to generate awareness among my community. Now if any girl from my community has any issue related with menstruation, they ask me for the same and I try to help her out”                                                                                       

Volunteer Ruby, 22 years, Pursuing Graduation

“I love to organize awareness session on MHM for girls in the community. During my school days, I was too shy to discuss my issues with anyone, especially Periods issues. I got my first period at the age of 14 when I was in school. I didn’t know about it, I pretended to be normal with my peer group but I was feeling ashamed and guilty. I thought it is all about me, as I am too much naughty so god has given me punishment. I didn’t know the biological reason for menstruation. I didn’t concentrate on my studies on those days. But today I realize that what I felt in my puberty age, I don’t want to realize the same feelings with any puberty age girl and dedicated to generating awareness on menstruation through Smiley Days”.

Volunteer Varsha, 21 years, Pursuing Graduation

We will continue to keep you updated about our work and events.

Follow us on https://www.facebook.com/idf4all

Support us on https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/girls-health-and-hygiene-in-india/?-approved%21&-preapproved 

We thank you for all you have done for Indian Dreams Foundation, and look forward to your continued support!

Best Regards,

Team IDF