Support for menstrual health for girls in India

Dear friends,

Greetings from the Indian Dreams Foundation!

We are happy to share the success stories of our beneficiaries and the impact of the project on the ground. The Smiley Days team regularly interacts with adolescent girls in underprivileged communities and discusses their issues by providing them appropriate counseling/ guidance.

Today we came up with a story of change;

"Today, I have crisscrossed all the traditional age mindsets that girls cannot get education in distressed & challenging circumstances. Our patriarchal society always tries to break the confidence of the girl child, especially when the girls belong to the poor, marginalized sections of society and when girls hit their puberty age", said Sonia (name changed).

Her 12th board exam result is her intense retort to prejudiced people with gender discrimination and inequality mindsets.

Sonia is brought up in a poverty-stricken scheduled caste family of four and lives in slums, lacking toilets and drinking water facilities. Her mother was also a victim of early child marriage, faced many challenges, and could not get an education due to harsh poverty and a conservative attitude.

Sonia's mother shared her journey of life several times with Sonia and her sibling. When IDF team members met with Sonia and her mother, she said that in her village, women were treated as a burden in the family, and their lives were like cattle which had to follow all customs without any self-acknowledgment.

During the menstrual periods, girls were required to leave home for at least five days and stayed in a hut outside the village.  With tears in her eyes, she said that these five days in every month were a horrible time for all girls to face heaps of difficulties and feelings of shame, dirtiness, fears, and unhygienic practices were the days' orders.

She added that getting an education is everyone's right, but we could not envision going to school in any case. I am still guilted that I could not get an education.

However, after giving birth to my first girl child, I was determined that history would not repeat with my daughter at any cost. She will get the education and will be regarded as an independent and empowered woman.

Sonia completed her primary education at a government school. Nevertheless, after completing primary school, she started menstruation.  Sonia's father denied enrolling her in school for further education.  Instead, he was convinced to stop Sonia's education and forced her to do household work.

However, her mother endured for her right to education and continuously motivated the father for her education. She started work as a maid in a school to earn and invest in Sonia's education. However, her income was not sufficient to maintain even her school fees. In this phase of time, she became helpless and was disappointed with these severe monetary conditions, and as a result, Sonia was out of school after her primary education.

Then one fine day, Sonia's mother met with the IDF team and urged them to support her education. Sonia was enrolled in a private school for further education and connected with the Smiley Days team on a regular basis where she got knowledge on menstrual hygiene management.

Sonia and her mother are filled with happiness because she has passed the 12^th board exam this year and scored good marks.

Today Sonia feels proud to be a part of Smiley Days and spreading awareness among her school girls towards good hygiene and well-being. Now she proudly says “Yes, I am CHANGE”.

There are many success stories of the girls who become aware of their menstrual rights and well-being.

Thank you so much for your support!

Regards,

Team IDF