By Nelofar Jan | MIS Officer
Greetings from Reaching Hand!
While doing student assessment in Taverekare Govt High School, the attendance register showed Nikita of 9th grade is absent for 3-5 days every month. Curious we approached her who was present that day in school. We were taken back by the startling reality. Navya says, “I stay at home during my periods because of the unavailability of separate toilet for girls in the school. It is very difficult to manage my blood flow and I need to change often.”
Reaching Hand intervened and built separate toilets in that school for girls. They also conducted workshops on puberty using activity-based method to make girls understand that periods are common, and they should be ready mentally and physically for this process. After the workshop we conducted puberty pre-test among girls by distributing a questionnaire based on set of questions related with puberty to know how much knowledge they have related with puberty and the shocking thing was that most of the girls do not have the accurate awareness about the puberty. Most of the girls failed to answer simple questions related with menstrual cycle.
Lately we met Navya and she says, “Now that girls have separate toilets I never miss school. The puberty workshop conducted in our school, gave me much information about the topic. For me and my friends it was the first time to attend such type of workshop. I am thankful to Reaching Hand for providing separate toilets for girls and clearing many doubts and distributing sanitary kit”.
Reaching Hand in collaboration with different corporate inaugurated new toilets and hand-wash units under "Girls Glory Program" in different Govt schools. The school Administration, village SDMC and Panchayat, local volunteers, parents and students actively participation in the programs. Local media coverage was done.750 students are benefitted by these toilets. All the toilets are constructed with proper drainage and disposable arrangements. Ayamas are appointed to maintain these toilets.
In this quarter Reaching Hand renovated 14 toilets in different Govt Schools ,constructed New 53 toilet units and18 workshops on Health hygiene and puberty were conducted by which 2500 girls are benefitted. As per the availability of funds we will be expanding our project.
Coming quarter our focus will be on constructing more new toilets in the much needed government schools.
We are also participating in the TCS W10K with the vision of raising awareness and constructing more toilets. You can contribute to this cause by donating through GlobalGiving platform or by spreading the word to your friends and relatives.
Do visit our schools when you are in Karnataka, India anytime. We are excited to show you where your contribution goes!
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