My first training at Aghinchowk dates back to 2017. There were approximately 80 students sitting in a classroom. I greeted everyone, took a marker and wrote “Menstrual Hygiene Management Training Program“ on the whiteboard. I found the girls very shy, smiling and giggling as I was talking. When I asked questions, to my surprise the girls started laughing again, covering their faces and blushing. I smiled and motivated them to open up with the sentence “I menstruate as well.”
Slowly as the training moved forward, I started to talk about safe menstrual management as well as the procedures and home remedies to minimize period pain, psychological and physical alterations in the body.
Again, they did not respond to any of the questions I asked.
To make them a bit more comfortable I shared my story of my first menstruation. Everybody laughed. Then I asked if anyone would like to share their first period story.
Surprisingly, a girl stood up. Despite her shyness she managed to tell her story. She was 15 when she got her first period. I asked her whether or not she knew anything about mensuration beforehand, and she said she did not. Her mother passed away when she was very young and her teacher also skipped the chapter about adolescence. She was at home when she saw blood on her undergarment. Feeling abdominal and back pain, she didn’t know what to do. She told me that she was very scared when she saw blood and thought she was going to die. She then ran to her best friend’s house nearby and told her what she was going through. Her friend summoned her mother, and that was the moment she learned that she was on her first period.
I requested the crowd to give her a round of applause to motivate her because she had the courage to stand up and share her story.
When I went back in 2018 for the second time, I witnessed a drastic change and I must admit I was quite surprised and proud. The girls were actually practicing what they had learned during my workshop and they were no longer skipping school!
This time they had many questions and even more girls shared their stories. Education was diminishing their shame and fear.
During the session a girl stood up and told me that she helped her neighbor when she menstruated for the first time. She said that she made her neighbor calm by explaining that it’s a natural and biological process. She also demonstrated to her the process to wear and apply sanitary pads and told her about a few home remedies for minimizing the menstrual pains. She was passing her education along to others.
I was delighted that my workshop had such a positive impact on these young ladies. The joy of helping make an impact on a girl’s life is simply wonderful.
