To address one of the most pressing issues impacting the education of girl children in India, Delhi-based NGO Wishes and Blessings organized a workshop on menstrual hygiene at Kasturba Balika Vidyalaya in Ishwar Nagar in Delhi on the occasion of International Day of Girl Child.
At the workshop, the volunteers from the NGO educated female students at the school on the importance of sanitary hygiene and its benefits. Following the informative workshop, Wishes and Blessings distributed sanitary pads in collaboration with Bliss Natural Pads among the students to further raise awareness on the issue.
“Menstrual cycle has always been a stigmatized topic. Through this workshop, we aim to normalize the topic of menstruation and menstrual hygiene. Teenage girls often lack proper knowledge about menstruation due to taboos and sociocultural restrictions, leading to health issues and shame in families and communities, as they are often unaware of scientific facts and sanitary practices.
This has also led to several girl students dropping out of school. Our objective is to keep spreading awareness on the issue and help girl children get equal access to quality education,” said the Founder and President of Wishes and Blessings Dr Geetanjali Chopra.
More than 150 students and faculty of Kasturba Balika Vidyalaya participated in the workshop. The zealous participation of the students depicted their curiosity on the issue and their interest in talking about sanitary hygiene freely. Wishes and Blessings team apprised the participants on various issues related to menstrual hygiene.
“As noted in many previous scenarios, the lack of sufficient knowledge about sanitary health practices related to menstruation often leads to girls dropping out of school. According to a study by the UN’s child protection agency, UNICEF, 71 percent of adolescent girl children in the country lack proper awareness of menstruation.
We are thankful to NGO Wishes and Blessing for conducting the workshop, which will significantly help the children feel safe and have equitable knowledge regarding the matter,” mentioned Anita Sharma, Vice-Principal of Kasturba Balika Vidyalaya.
About Wishes and Blessings:
Wishes and Blessings is a registered NGO based in New Delhi. Founded in 2014 under the patronage of Dr Geetanjali Chopra, the organization today has an active presence in 5 states across the country including Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. It is a unique platform for linking donors with beneficiaries. The service of the NGO cuts across social and economic barriers. They believe that happiness is a work in progress means to an end and not simply the end itself.
True to its mission of spreading smiles and making dreams come true, the NGO has been working on 20 different welfare projects and has impacted the lives of 10,00,000 people in need. The organisation focuses on 6 pilot projects including health, education, nutrition, relief, happiness, and customisable charity.