Mission Pink
Menstrual health and hygiene was a cornerstone in the Mission Pink Health and Hygiene program implemented by the Rotary Club of Chandigarh Midtown, India
Using a Global Grant from The Rotary Foundation they developed a program that they delivered to 30 schools and over 15,000 young women. In the past year, the schools have seen decreased absenteeism and drop-outs and classroom performance has increased.
Mission Pink
Dr Rita Kalra, Rotary Club of Chandigarh Midtown
The menstrual health and hygiene for adolescent girls was an integral part of Mission Pink Health and Wash in schools project undertaken by the Rotary Club of Chandigarh Midtown, India.
The activities with the project included:
- Seminar to sensitize the girl students about the importance of menstrual cycle, Do's and Don'ts, facts and myths and nutrition tips.
- Installation of sanitary vending machine and incinerator
- Providing free sanitary napkins to students
- Mineral supplements, Iron folic acid and deworming for management of anaemia
- Awareness how the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination prevents cervical cancer.
After working with the schools to assess the need, the club found some international partners and received a Global Grant from The Rotary Foundation. The grant was for $42,000.
A training seminar was provided to 43 teachers in the participating schools. A total of 30 schools and over 15,000 young women participated in the project
The impact of Mission Pink has been significant. Classroom performance has improved, absenteeism has decreased, and dropouts have gone down. The word has spread about the success of this project and more and more schools are implementing social health programs for all women.
As the female students improve their education there have been some additional benefits the club has financed. After school programs have been introduced to provide training in-home care nursing, basic computing, medical record technician, etc. A few girls have decided to pursue higher education in arts, engineering etc. and the club is providing scholarships,
We would like to expand our project by providing biodegradable pads for girls for environment protection and also free immunization against cervical cancer. The club will be encouraging support and also increase our reach into the community.
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