Girls Glory - Improve Menstrual Health in India

It's that time of the year when we look back to the last whole year and celebrate the good times as well as work on improving our approaches the coming year. With ‘your’ support we have reached to 2962 Girls and 400 Boys over the last year. We were able to build 51 New Toilets and Renovate 35 Toilets and reach to 28 Government Schools across India. Few more are under construction right now. We were also able to conduct 34 Awareness workshops.

Challenges that we faced!

There were lot of challenges we came across the most glaring one was the crisis of maintenance. In the beginning of the year we were focused on building toilets but later we were awakened to the new issue i.e. of maintenance. So from mid of the year we tried various ways to tackle this issue and finally now be believe we have almost have a fool proof plan. 

Reaching Hand now not only builds toilet but also vouches for the maintenance. One of the biggest breakthroughs came when we started involving the beneficiaries as well as all the stakeholders in maintenance. We conducted awareness programs and made committees to ensure cleanliness. 

Achievements!

• The TCS Marathon fundraiser was a huge success as we were able to share our cause with 1000's of people.
• We were able to create our own and good syllabus for health and hygiene and puberty workshops with the help of volunteers.
• We could strategize maintenance of toilets.
• We could empower the teachers and School Management along with students about the importance of toilets.

In the coming year!

• We will be doing awareness campaigns in the slums in Bangalore along with full-fledged health camps.
• Research on eco-toilets and its sustainability.
• We will be reaching out to 50 more schools across India
• Empower all the Schools about health and hygiene.
• Release the Workshop material officially as tried and tested.
• Work on stronger materials to fit inside the toilets as the children or the community tend to break during the after school hours.

Thanks to you for all the progress we could make. We are also thankful to Global Giving UK for the funds they have donated to Reaching Hand for scaling up our projects. We want to scale up our project to the whole of India. Do give us your feedback and suggestions so that we can improve our project. Do continue supporting us and also visit us if you come down to India.

Thanks a ton again.!!!! Few photos have been attached below portraying the accomplishments. Do look into it.

Links:

• Website

Seasonal greetings to you from Reaching Hand. It’s our pleasure again to update you about the happenings at this part of the world. It wasn't a great three months though, as we are in the process of assessing the menstrual taboos and current knowledge about menstruation in our schools. We are saddened to hear the responses of girls with regards to the seclusion they go through at their home, school, temples and communities during their menstrual time. "I stay in separate room during my period!" was one of the responses. 

Progress report during the previous quarter

Over the last three months we conducted about 13 Assessments in Schools, 2 Puberty Education and 8 Health and Hygiene Education. We also inaugurated 3 renovated toilet blocks and are in the process of building totally 14 new toilet blocks in the coming quarter. The construction was little slow previous quarter due to rains and flood in our neighboring state Chennai.

Information on our Girls Glory Education

Along with the help of amazing volunteers Saldon from Jammu and Kashmir, Rashmi from Florida, Audrey and Danny Forest from Montreal we have put together two manuals one on Puberty Education and other on General Health and Hygiene for the age group of 7-14 years. We are focusing on removing the menstrual taboos and also most importantly explaining the process of puberty and reason behind blood flow, so that girls are aware that menstruation and onset of puberty is just a normal function of the body just like other functions. Through Health and Hygiene Education, we are focusing on educating children on how to keep themselves away from germs to avoid epidemics and viral fevers of various kinds which is rampant here at Bangalore. 

Issues and concerns

Maintenance of toilets that are being constructed is one of the main issues we are facing currently. Many of the schools we are providing additional support by engaging third party agencies for cleaning and also fixing tanks to store water around the toilets to ensure continuous water flow even at times when there are long power cuts. We have also planned to make a WASH Committee in each of these schools including the School Authorities, Local Leaders and Students to ensure on maintenance and daily checks on the cleanliness of the Sanitation Facilities.

Celebration

November 19th being the World Toilet Day, we celebrated the same in our Nagenahalli School with inauguration of renovated toilet and Health and Hygiene Awareness Program.

We at Reaching Hand have made it our motto to remove all menstrual taboos among the children and their communities at Bangalore. Thanks to your support that we can continue our work relentlessly. Do continue supporting us, and join hands with us in making Bangalore menstrual taboo free.

Links:

• Website