Push of a button changes lives, menstrual hygiene in Jharkhand

Jharkhand: The push of a button meant a different kind of freedom for Savitri Tigga, 11, of Hulhundu on the outskirts of Ranchi, barely 20 km from the tribal state’s capital.

As Savitri (name changed) inserted a rupee coin and pressed the button of the newly-installed vending machine in her village, her face lit up as it dispensed a sanitary napkin.

Despite the proximity to the mining boom town of Ranchi, Savitri, till now, had little or no knowledge of how to cope with a menstrual cycle, turning her already burdened childhood into a nightmare, as she bled in the solitary confines of her hut, bewildered by the changes which were happening to her body.

Sangini, an initiative taken by the Old Boys’ Association of the famed Netarhat Vidyalaya, has set up vending machines to dispense sanitary pads, in 50 desperately poor villages in Jharkhand and neighbouring Bihar to help girls have a healthier life with uninterrupted schooling.

“I can now afford to buy these napkins... I can study now... I can buy my pencils and erasers as well. I will not leave my studies,” Savitri told the reporter. ihenapkin shyly in her hand. (PTI)