A student of class X of Madrassa Islamia, Chahat Mohammadi is a determined girl. She sets out with her friends on a journey to educate women and girls in her locality and adjoining rural areas about the importance of menstrual hygiene. She learnt about the significance of sanitation, hygiene and maintaining healthy habits during menstruation from the Kanyashree Club in her school — “Khwaish Kanyashree Club”. An active member of the Club, she knows it won’t be easy to convince the women, who follow the age-old traditions when it comes to menstruation. However, she is keen to change their mindset. “Initially, the women, were hesitant to even talk about these issues, but we were able to convince them to adopt the proper use of sanitary pads and other healthy habits that we need to follow during menstruation,” says Chahat.

The Kanyashree Clubs comprise of 30 to 35members and there are a total of 400 clubs over 20 blocks of West Bengal’s Purulia District, the number of which is expected to increase in due course of time. The girls, popularly known as the “Kanyashree Girls” are taught about menstrual hygiene and use of sanitary pads, that are easily accessible in their schools. Moreover, the instructions received, are then carried forward by the girls to other women who are not aware about the healthy practices of menstruation.

“We buy the sanitary pads from the Self Help Groups (SHGs) in our Kanyashree Club, both for our personal use and for those, whom we sensitize. The pads are affordable and we sell them at a nominal rate. The girls are now happy and feel comfortable even during those days of discomfort,” adds Chahat.

The major obstacles to education of the girl child is absenteeism due to early marriage and menstrual cycle. Parents feel that a girl should be married off as soon as she attains puberty, thereby increasing the rate of dropouts and creating severe health problems among the girls.

Riya Chandra a member of “Pratyusha Kanyashree Club”, and a student of Class XI, was aghast when she found that girls of her age were married off and even bore children while they are still adoloscents. “We carry out awareness campaigns among the masses about the ill-effects of child marriage and encourage the parents to send their daughters to school. Here, in our club we learn about various social and health related issues, and make an effort to reform society,” says Chandra.

During menstruation, the girls usually use clothes and other primitive methods which is not hygienic and may lead to infections. “We try to sensitize the girls and women in our locality who still rely on clothes. We inform them about the use and disposal of sanitary pads and avoid unhygienic methods. Initially, they felt shy talking about periods and never dared to go to a chemist to purchase a packet of sanitary pad. However, now they feel comfortable discussing with us and frankly ask for pads whenever they need it,” adds Chandra of Shantani GirlsHigh School.

“Kanyashree Prakalpa”, is a scheme undertaken by the West Bengal Government for the uplift of the girl child. It is a conditional cash transfer method, where an adolescent unmarried girl between the age bracket of 14 to 18, receives a certain amount to continue with her education thereby making her independent and empowered. The project is not solely confined with the monetary support to the girls, rather it is also a holistic step to transform the adolescent girl into a confident person.

According to a systematic review on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in India, by UNICEF in 2015, 24 percent of school girls remain absent during their menses. In another report by the National Family Health Survey, NFHS 4- 2015-2016, around 52 percent of girls in India were unaware of menstruation before they have their first period and only 58 percent of women were using hygienic methods.  These figures underline the importance of MHM to girls in school in support of health and education outcomes.

The adolescent girls in the Kanyashree Clubs are provided friendly counselling sessions on menstrual hygiene through Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHC) and free health sessions at Anwesha Clinic. The sessions are conducted in close co-ordination with ICDS and UNICEF members. Along with counselling session, a comic book is published for the girls, where information about menstruation and hygienic menstruation management is given as a self-reference for adolescent girls that help them prepare for the physical changes in their bodies and practice safe and hygienic ways of dealing with menstruation.

“Initially, it was uneasy to attend school during those days on a bicycle, I was obsessed with the fear of getting my clothes stained, but not anymore. In our “Sapnadisha Kanyashree Club”, we are given a detailed insight on menstrual hygiene like — maintaining proper diet and cleanliness, using and changing pads within 4 hours and this has made our lives much easier. We also have provisions in our school to change pads. Moreover, we openly talk with our instructor without any hesitation, in case if we face any problem during menstruation,” says Pompa Mahato, of Hutmura Harimati Girls’ School.

District Magistrate of Purulia, AlokeshPrasad Roy talks about the objectives of the Kanyashree project — to increase educational attainment, prohibition of child marriage and providing financial assistance to the girls. “We thrive to make them self-reliant by converging various departments like skill development and employment generation with the project. Fiscal awareness programme are also conducted in consultation with various banks for the benefit of the girls which enable them to handle their own accounts,” he says.

In yet another breakthrough initiative, the Purulia district administration has implemented its own brand, namely “Udaan”, a project on sanitary napkin for MHM programme. The pads manufactured by Udaan are totally biodegradable, quality tested and priced Rs 5 for two pads. UNICEF and the state government has supported this project of Purulia, which is now replicated in all districts of West Bengal.

“Menstruation”, is a topic which has always been a taboo subject. Not many, especially in rural areas are aware about the habits to be rigorously followed during their menses. Adding more complications to these monthly cycles are stomach cramps and discomfort, lack of awareness, and access to sanitary napkins. The most affected are the adolescent girls who tend to miss out school, thereby increasing the rate of dropouts. “Earlier the women used clothes and cow dung as absorbents during menstruation. These created severe health implications. Then we started propagating various campaigns on menstrual hygiene involving adolescent girls. At present there are 80,000 Kanyashrees in Purulia, who themselves are practicing and encouraging their family, locality and rural areas to adopt the healthy habit of using sanitary napkins,” Roy says.

Roy informs that there are around 31,000SHGs in Purulia where women are well-trained and provided with the machine for the production of sanitary napkins. The benefit of its use has reached even the most backward areas of Purulia. There are two production houses in Purulia where mass production of these sanitary napkins are carried on and supply chain are done by the women of SHGs. As per the requirements, these pads are supplied to the nodal teacher of the Kanyashree Clubs, from whom the girls can purchase.

The concept of selling the sanitary pads at a nominal rate was adopted to empower the SHG women. Kalpana Kuiry, Supervisor of the SHG, “Agragami Prathamik Samabai Samiti, says, “I have been associated with this group since last ten years where we used to produce the sanitary pads manually. After the implementation of the project Udaan, we were provided with the machine from the district administration. The raw materials used in the making of the pads are procured by us; it usually consists of non-woven fabric, wood gel, dry net, release paper and packet. The annual production capacity is 12 lakhs, and per day 3,000 pads are prepared. As amonthly incentive Rs 2000, is deposited in our bank accounts.”

Widespread awareness and ground level advocacy by action oriented Kanyashree club members in Purulia have created a strong impact in combating child marriage. Moreover, emphasis has been laid for the overall development of the Kanyashree Girls. “The girls are provided with an opportunity to explore their skills in sports like football, archery, karate, taekwondo. Under the skill development programme “Swabalambi”, they are given training in various courses like — beautician, handicrafts, catering and hospitality, and preparing organic colours from Palash flowers. Awareness campaigns are also conducted by the Kanyashree girls, against vector-borne diseases, use of plastics, and road safety,” says Leena Mondol, District Nodal Officer for Kanyashree Prakalpa.

The Kanyashree and the Udaan project is giving a new ray of hope to the young girls and women of Purulia, who are the harbingers of change in the society.

In accordance to the second edition of the media initiative undertaken by the South Asia Women In Media (SAWM) and UNICEF India, a group of journalists interacted with the Kanyashree Girls and women from SHGs about the implementation of MHM programmes in Purulia

source: Thumb Print

The Gandulbari Primary School is situated in the Hura bloc of the Purulia district West Bengal. Apart from the students’ studies, it pays attention to building awareness about personal hygiene. With the help of community organisations, it has created a proper sanitation infrastructure. The students are making good use of the facilities. Washing their hands well before taking their mid-day meals is the starting point of their daily hygienic practices. They follow their teachers’ instructions regarding this as carefully as they follow their lessons. The school received the ‘Nirmal Vidyalay’ (clean school) award in 2015. Here is a video report.

পুরুলিয়া জেলার হুড়া ব্লকের অন্তর্গত গুন্দলুবাড়ি প্রথামিক বিদ্যালয়।  খাবার আগে হাত ধোয়া থেকে শৌচকর্ম স্বাস্থ্য বিধানের সব কিছু অক্ষরে অক্ষরে মেনে চলে ছাত্রছাত্রীর। ২০১৫ নির্মল বিদ্যালয় পুরস্কার পেয়েছে স্কুলটি। স্কুলটি ঘুরে দেখে একটি বিশেষ প্রতিবেদন।

Source: khaboronline

School begins early for Pompy Biswas, Nitraban Hazarika and Krittika Das as they don the hats of ‘swachh sevaks’ to check whether the water tank has been filled, hand washing area cleaned and soaps put in place.

The three students of Azara Keotpara Lower Primary School, along with their fellow mates, have set an example in Kamrup (Metro) district, near here, by taking upon themselves the responsibility of maintaining hygiene and keeping the environment clean, not just around classrooms but homes too.

At Sajjanpara Lower Primary School, nearby, children keep a check on their parents and relatives too. They take time out to impart lessons on cleanliness to their neighbours and other members of the community.

The Assam chapter of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, along with UNICEF, has piloted the cleanliness drive to ensure less absenteeism in schools, said Rajib Dutta, the project’s engineer for Kamrup (Metro) district.

“It is the schoolchildren who have become role models for the community at large by moving beyond the confines of the campus to take their cleanliness initiatives to their family and the extended community,” he said.

A UNICEF report had pointed out that there was consistent evidence that hand washing with soap at critical times – before eating, while preparing food and after using the toilet – can reduce diarrhoea risk by about 45 per cent, Dutta added.

Likumoni Das, a Class III student of Azatpara school, said they were keen on passing the knowledge they have acquired to their parents and relatives.

“After learning the basic rules of hand washing, we found out that our parents did not follow the methods. We have now taught them how to maintain hygiene,” she said.

The headmaster of her school, Kamal Chandra Goswami, said he has built separate toilets and hand-washing facilities for boys and girls.

“I am happy to see that students have become torch-bearers of the cleanliness drive here,” he stated.

The parents, too, have joined the initiative by donating soap cakes to the school.

“We are learning something new every day from our children. These hygiene practices have become a part of our daily routine,” Amila Das, a mother and member of School Management Committee, said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Subhan Chandra Bodo, the headmaster of Sajjanpara LP School, said it was the children who convinced their parents to install water filters at home.

“As part of the government and the UNICEF initiative, children have not just learnt about keeping themselves clean, they have also inspired parents and relative to build toilets and install water filters at home,” he added.

Sweta Patnaik, the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) specialist of UNICEF, said philanthropists, corporate houses, civic and faith organizations in Assam have been requested to join the drive to extend its reach to every nook and corner of the state.

“We have taken initiatives to mainstream ‘WASH in School’ programme through trainings of teachers and headmasters and orientation of School Management Committees members,” she said, adding that a “lot more” had to be done to ensure that maximum number of people benefit from the drive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Students of Sajjanpara primary school are washing their hands in a group with a beautiful song before having their mid-day meal.

source: Business Standard

For children of the Kaadar community in the Western Ghats, getting an education means leaving home at the age of six to stay at residential schools.
Deep in the jungles of the Western Ghats near Valparai, over a 100 km from Coimbatore, is the small tribal hamlet of Udumanparai. The inhabitants of the village, the Kaadar community, live in literal isolation, largely ignored by the State. However, they are determined that their children should get proper education at any cost.

“We cannot afford to compromise on education, especially in these times,” says Kamaraj, a tea estate worker and young father of two. His older child is away at boarding school but the younger one, Kasturi, 8, is at home because she is ill. But she happily plays in a stream nearby. “She has to go back to school on Sunday evening. How will she recover if she plays in the water,” he asks, as he keeps calling her to come in. When Kasturi does come, she makes sure to snuggle up to her grandmother to avoid getting scolded by her father. At his prompting, she begins to pack for school, spending an extra bit of time showing off a yellow frock she got from school. “They gave this to me in school before Deepavali. This is my favourite dress. I will wear it next Sunday,” she says.

From Mr. Kamaraj’s house, it takes more than an hour’s walk through the rubble-filled and rough pathways inside tea estates, followed by a 45-minute drive to reach Valparai, where the Nesam Trust-Sarva Siksha Abhiyan Residential School for Tribal Children is located. Kasturi, her 10-year-old brother Yuvaraj, and almost all other children of Udumanparai are enrolled in that school.

With no school in the hamlet, its residents have to choose between the Nesam Trust’s school and the Government Tribal Residential Middle School, also in Valparai, to enrol their children when they turn six. Almost all residents prefer the Trust school, says Mallika, a resident, “because the government school does not treat the children well and does not have facilities.”

The children come home only thrice a year — 20 days during the summer vacation in May and four days each during Deepavali and Pongal. Parents are allowed to visit their children on weekends.

Kasturi enjoys going to school though. “I have friends, I have toys, swings and we also get tasty food there,” she says. At the school, the children learn maths, science, English and social studies, and attend vocational training classes. On weekends, they wear their best outfits and spend the day playing or completing their homework. “Mostly we only play,” she giggles.

Mr. Kamaraj however looks glum as he watches her pack. “She came home for four days during Deepavali, and then we had to bring her back again because she fell ill. I don’t feel like sending her, but we have no option. Also, she likes it more there,” he says, gently boxing her head, even as Kasturi nods cheerfully.

“Often, once a child goes home, parents do not let them return. When we try to get them back, the children run and hide in the forest. So we have to tighten the rules, mainly for their benefit,” says Senthil Kumar, chairman of the Nesam Trust school. He adds that most of the children are bright and show great interest in extracurricular activities. Many of them seem to want to become Indian Forest Service officers or do social work to help their people, he says. “With the right guidance, they will excel,” he adds.

However, for the Kaadars, separation from their children at an early age and for prolonged periods is painful. “I wish there were better educational facilities in the hamlets. It’s very difficult to be away from our children,” says S. Sasikala, an anganwadi teacher and a resident of Nedungundram, another Kaadar hamlet, which takes an hour’s drive plus an hour’s walk to get to.

Unlike Udumanparai, Nedungundram has a single teacher government primary school. Though set up barely five years ago, the building is dilapidated, the walls are damp and it does not have power connection.

“The students are still stuck in the basics,” says Aishwarya, whose seven-year-old daughter was studying in the school but was later moved to the Nesam Trust school. “My husband and I had a huge fight over this. I didn’t want to send her away to the hostel because she is so young and needs me. But I finally gave in, else she too would have become a drop-out like me,” she says.

The residents want the government to develop an alternative approach so they can watch their children grow up. Their suggestion: appoint educators who will live and teach in the hamlet on weekdays, and simultaneously train graduates from the community, who could in due course take up the job. “In any ordinary family, a child is taken care of by parents and family members at least till age 10. But the moment our child turns six, we have to send them away,” Ms. Aishwarya says.

Fr. K.J. Kumar, director, Social Watch-Tamil Nadu, an organisation that works for the welfare of tribal children, shares this view. Training should be provided to members of the community, and primary schooling could be made an extension of the anganwadi centre by building an extra classroom with common facilities like kitchen, play area and washrooms. And till such a facility is set up, transport arrangements must be made for the children free of charge, he says.

A house in Nedungundram is the anganwadi from where Ms. Sasikala teaches five children below the age of five. While she enjoys teaching and playing with the children, a lot of her time is spent figuring out how to purchase supplies. She receives ₹100 every month from the government, which she uses to buy dal, vegetables and condiments for the children. “But when prices increase, I need to pay from my own pocket. I also need to pay for the transport of the goods,” she says.

An official of the Forest Department says it is difficult to maintain schools in the tribal hamlets as teachers fear going there due to animal movement. As an example, he cites the instance of a primary school in Kallar settlement, another Kaadar hamlet, 6 km from the main road, which was shut down due to similar reasons. “The school had only one teacher and one student, it was in a precarious location. But it had to be closed down, also because most parents did not want to send their children to schools,” the official says.

Lack of schools is one of the many issues the Kaadars face. The lack of proper roads, electricity, health care facilities and prenatal care for pregnant women are complaints that crop up.

“Ambulances cannot come here because there are no roads. It is especially difficult for pregnant woman,” says Radha of Udumanparai, recalling an incident when her friend, who was eight months pregnant, had to be carried in a cradle for six kilometres to the nearest hospital.

“The path we take is so narrow that even one wrong step could cause serious injury, or even death,” she says, pointing to a deep valley where a river flows.

The lack of roads also affects the old who no longer can walk an hour to get their monthly old age pension. “Officials from the forest department used to deliver it to us before, but now, since the money is deposited in our bank accounts, we need to go to Valparai every time to affix our signature and get our money. I haven’t been able to get my last month’s due since I’m not able to walk,” says 70-year-old Srinivasan of Udumanparai.

Mr. Srinivasan and other residents continue to live in darkness. Ten years ago, the local authorities set up two solar panels in the area, but they didn’t last. The residents do not have the money to repair it.

A recent study carried out by Social Watch says that the population of Kaadars in Tamil Nadu is nearly 600, all of whom live in the forests of Valparai, in six hamlets. Another 600 members of the community live in Kerala. Most of them work as marginal farmers, they also work in tea estates and as daily wage labourers and earn around ₹5,000 a month. So far, only four members of the community have managed to graduate — three of them are women. One is pursuing her post-graduation in Social Work.

“It has never been easy for us and it is a big thing that these children have even gone that far to live their dreams,” says 84-year-old K. Ganesan, one of the oldest members of the community. Mr. Ganesan recalls a time when they were more in harmony with their surroundings. “We were a self-sufficient lot. We grew ragi (a millet) and cholam (corn). But since the State’s policies changed, we had to stop our agricultural practices and our food habits have changed. Now we depend on ration shops, and keep falling sick,” he says.

Recently, the community was asked to relocate to the plains as part of the Central government-funded Project Tiger, aimed at creating safe spaces and protecting wildlife species. “They bluntly refused. They say that the forest is their home and as long as they live here, nothing would happen to the wildlife,” says a forest official.

Mr. Ganesan emphatically agrees. “We worship this forest. The moment we leave, the entire area will be exposed to outsiders and poachers. We will live here and guard it till our last breath,” he says.

This story was done as part of SAWM India – UNICEF Fellowship

Source: thehindu.com

She had to quit school five years ago when she was in Class VI to help the family deal with medical expenses of her ailing mother.

Seboti Pahariya has to wait till January to rejoin school. The 17-year-old has waited five years already.

Its the middle of the school session in Assam and Seboti will join Class VII. She had to quit school five years ago when she was in Class VI to help the family deal with medical expenses of her ailing mother.

Born and raised in Amguri, 110 km from Dibrugarh, she is from a family of tea garden workers. A bindi sparkling on her forehead, red kurta with jeans and a yellow dupatta thrown casually around her neck, she made her intentions clear: “I want to study and then I want to teach.”

In 2015, her mother passed away after a long battle with mental illness that Seboti is unable to name. Soon after, her father passed away of diarrhoea.

The youngest of five siblings, she shared the responsibility of running the household with her brother, Maniram Pahariya (22) and sister-in-law Mira. Her older sisters are married and have moved out.

Seboti wakes up by 6 am, helps out with household chores, reaches the tea estate by 8 am and plucks leaves till 5 pm. She earns Rs 800 every week and hands that to her brother.

But in February this year, she joined the anganwadi in Amguri block and began interacting with others her age. She learnt about nutrition and hygiene. During weekly sessions, she came in contact with the NGO Nava Udit Samaj that works with the district administration in the block. “I learnt for the first time that as a child I have rights. I learnt about the importance of education,” she said. Her family always saw education from the expense point-of-view and did not see the value in educating the girls, Seboti said.

Her parents were unlettered and her brother is the most educated in the house, having finished Class XII.

“The subject of my marriage was brought up but with the help of the anganwari workers I was able to convince my brother to hold it off,” she said.

NGOs point to varying statistics about the declining number of child marriages in tea gardens. Reducing child marriage and teen pregnancy forms a key part of UNICEF’s adolescent project in the district.

At the anganwadi centre every Saturday, Seboti has recently undergone “folklore” training.

Young adults in the block were taught lessons of social importance through songs and dance in their own language and then encouraged to create their own. So while some penned songs about drug de-addiction and child marriage, Seboti wrote about what she missed most — school — in the Chhadri dialect spoken by tea garden workers of Assam.

At a recent talent show at the centre, she performed this song. “My friend’s father, who does not allow her to go to school, said he will allow her after he heard my song,” she said, her pride evident.

She writes about things too, her mother’s illness, her future, her village. The farthest she has been from her house, is the district centre at Sibsagar, about 30 km from home.

“One of the main reasons girls drop out of schools is the violence at home,” she said. “There was violence at home as well when my brother used to drink but after attending sessions at the anganwari I came back and told him about the affects of alcohol and how it was affecting our household.”

The Deputy Commissioner, Sivasagar, collaborated with UNICEF to conceptualise and implement the project on adolescent empowerment.

The overall goal of this project is to improve the lives of adolescents in five blocks of Sivasagar by increasing the autonomy that adolescent boys and girls have over decisions affecting their lives.

Seboti, and 24 other girls are part of this project and are finding their feet as they learn more about their bodies and their environment. In her own words, “I was fearful and did not understand my desires or a life other than that at home. I am now more confident, and I try and encourage those who come in contact with me to speak up as well.”

Till she rejoins school, Seboti will continue to write for Mukto Aakaash (an NGO-run adolescent newspaper).

Source: indianexpress.com