Providing ‘dignity’ to girls during menstrual cycle

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 2

Ensuring dignity to girls during their monthly natural cycle is what these bunch of medicos aim at. Extending a helping hand to girls belonging to weaker section of society, they are distributing ‘dignity kits’ to help maintain menstrual hygiene among needy school girl students.

Under the project ‘One Million’, fifteen medical students from Ludhiana in coordination with Indian Development Foundation (IDF) are distributing ‘dignity kits’ which contain 90 sanitary pads, undergarments, towel, detergent, hand washing soap and a cloth bag. Each kit costs Rs 500 but is given free of cost to the underprivileged girls. The kits are manufactured in Mumbai and are supplied to the place wherever required by IDF.

Dr Rohini Dutta, medical intern at Christian Medical College who is also past president of Asian Medical Students Association (AMSA) India said that the project was to start last year but could not kick start due to pandemic.

“Now that senior classes have started reopening, this was the right opportunity to distribute the kits. In Ludhiana, Bharat Sewak Adarsh Vidyalaya at Moti Nagar was the first school which was chosen to distribute the kits. Schools are selected on the basis of the requirement. Need base analysis is currently being done by us and when more schools will be shortlisted, we will be distributing the kits. Indian Development Foundation raises funds online and the work of distribution is executed by team at district levels,” said Dr Rohini Dutta.

“Since all the students have not joined back school so we have given kits to the school administration who will be handing over the same to the parents when they come to deposit fees or fulfil any other school related work. Sangeeta Thapar, a teacher from the school is helping us a lot in this regard in managing and coordinating distribution in the school and arranging awareness session with the girls,” said Dr Dutta.

An awareness session is also conducted in the school to clear any misconception in the mind of girls. At BSA Vidyalaya 266 kits will be distributed, said Dr Sargun Virk also from AMSA India and part of project ‘One Million’.