Around ten volunteers from SARVAM attended an online session on adolescent health and menstrual hygiene for rural girls conducted by Shanthi Ashram, Coimbatore.  Doctors and healthcare workers conducted the session, and they addressed the importance of menstrual education and hygiene to children from various schools who were also a part of this session. 

Shanthi Ashram has regularly conducted useful online sessions, and SARVAM volunteers participate in these programmes.  They learn from these sessions and later spread the message to the community.

Adolescence is the phase of life between childhood and adulthood from ages 10 to 19.  It is a unique stage of human development and an essential time for laying the foundations of good health.  Despite being considered a healthy stage of life, there is significant death, illness and injury in the adolescent years.  Much of this is preventable or treatable.

The session aimed to create awareness amongst adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene and misconceptions associated with menstruation.  In addition, the session focused on giving an overview of physical changes that happen during adolescence and puberty and the science behind these.

The session also focused on educating and empowering adolescent children on the harmful impact of child marriage and teenage pregnancy.

The volunteers gathered new information after taking part in this session.  The importance of educating rural girls at an early age on adolescent health and menstrual hygiene was understood by them.  Also, they understood that this knowledge was crucial for the girls to grow into strong and confident women, and by educating them; they were empowered to make decisions about their health and well-being.

The volunteers are now better equipped to spread the knowledge they have gained.  There will be a positive impact on the overall health of the community.