Lifeskill,Sexuality Education for 1000 girls-India

Life skill, Sexuality Education for 1000 girls-India ( 14480)

Update October 2020

Even though the Covid 19 lockdown is partially opened up, more are less the lockdown continues, particularly for adolescent girls.  Their schools are not opened, some schools conduct online classes but the poor girls do not have the smartphone or the broadband internet connections at home.  They have not only lost their education but also the supplementary nutrition support and free sanitary pads from schools. In fact, many of them have lost the toilet facilities in the schools.  Still the government had conducted the board examinations for the 10th and 12th standard students and results were announced.

As usual all the Snehidhi members passed their 12th standard examinations but most of them could not go to college, again colleges are admitting students, collecting fees but yet to open, some of them collect fees and conduct online classes.  This year we could able to find full scholarships for 5 girls to go to higher studies.  Since last 6 months there was no work for their parents many of the girls could not continue their education even though they have passed the board examinations.

We could not continue our weekend life skill and sexuality education for adolescent girls. But our staff members have initiated whatsApp groups for the girls.  It is initiated in 3 slums and girls are using it.  We are also using Zoom meeting for our staff meeting and planning to extend to the girls particularly the Snehidhi (Adolescent girls association) leaders. We are providing information regarding sexuality education, information about scholarships, government departments providing help to adolescent girls. We are also making attempt to help them in their online classed trying to get smartphones, or creating facilities in our centers. One thing we could successfully do is the distribution of sanitary pads to adolescent girls, we could able to collect sanitary pads locally and distributed among 1500 slum girls. Along with that we have also distributed learning materials on MHM-Menstrual Hygiene Management education and safety measures to prevent Covid 19.  We are also involved in advocacy activities demanding the government to continue the free sanitary pad and supplementary nutrition programme and since schools are closed distribute sanitary pads and supplementary nutrition to the homes of adolescent girls. On 29th September World Heart Day in collaboration with Kaleesuvari foundation we have organize a drawing competition for girl children in our working area, 80 children participated in that event.

We are also facing resource crunch could not mobilize enough funds to support adolescent girls. Another important issue we are facing is the increase in girl children abuse and child marriages. We do not have the exact details but when we come across cases our staff members helped them by providing counseling services or stopping child marriages, provide relevant information to the girls and their mothers and make sure girls continue their education not dropping out of schools because of the Covid 19 situation.  Whenever we meet the mothers of the girls mostly during the distribution of relief materials, we discuss with them the importance of girl children's education and health.  The only thing encouraging and giving confidence and hope in this situation is the support of women and girls their determination to overcome this situation.