Year: 2023 (ongoing)
Supported by: Barak Obama Foundation under Girls Opportunity Alliance Program
Major Component: Menstrual Health Management (MHM), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Young People, Advocacy
Menstruation is an integral and normal part of human life yet is a life-restricting and discriminatory monthly event for girls and women across Nepal. The 'MHM in Chepang Girls is an initiative that aims to equip adolescent girls within the Chepang Community in the Gorkha District with activism skills to promote them as advocates for menstrual health management in their schools and communities. This marginalized community faces significant challenges regarding menstrual health due to cultural taboos and a lack of resources. By cascading knowledge from trained youth champions, the project seeks to improve MHM practices among students and community members alike. Additionally, the project will actively engage with school authorities through participatory assessments to advocate for menstrual health-friendly environments, providing technical support to ensure schools are equipped to meet the menstrual health needs of their students.
An inception meeting was conducted with the local authorities of Gandaki Rural municipality, Gorkha. The main objective of this meeting was; to share the objective and overview of the project, to discuss the existing situation of Chepang girls of Gandaki Rural Municipality, to discuss the feasible wards for the project implementation according to the availability of Chepang Girls.
Similarly, a Preliminary assessment was conducted to assess the status of MHM and to identify problems surrounding SRHR among Chepang girls. It was conducted at Shree Tomandada Secondary School (Ward number 6), and Shree Bijaya Bhawani Secondary School (Ward number 1). The assessment of MHM status among Chepang girls from Ward Number 2 and Ward Number 7 was done by making community visits.
Five Chepang girls from wards 1, 2, 6, and 7 were selected with the help of ward chairpersons and local teachers based on their interest in working with Visible Impact. One local coordinator from each ward was identified to supervise and support these girls.
A three-day residential training on SRHR and MHM was conducted for 20 Chepang girls and 4 local coordinators in the presence of a representative from Gandaki Rural Municipality and the local school. The training included various aspects of MHM. In addition to this, a session on the topic, of family planning, early marriage teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence was also included as those problems have a high prevalence in that particular community. Through this training, participants were equipped with activism skills, clarifying values and attitudes regarding SRHR, and educating them on MHM.
Using an observation checklist, Youth champions and local coordinators assessed the menstruation-friendly status of four selected schools within Gandaki Rural Municipality, Gorkha. After the assessment, meetings were conducted with school stakeholders to prioritize the necessary menstruation-friendly infrastructure improvements. As per the request from school authorities after prioritization meeting, certain technical support was provided to those schools to improve their menstrual-friendly infrastructure.
Each month, youth champions and local coordinators conduct monthly meetings within themselves to update each other on activities and challenges and plan upcoming sessions. This meeting provided them with the space to share their personal challenges as well within the group so that they felt heard.
Youth champions led monthly sessions on SRHR topics mainly MHM, Family Planning, Early Marriage, and Teenage Pregnancy in schools and communities under the guidance of local coordinators. Also, in the topic regarding Family Planning, nurses from their specific ward also assisted youth champions in delivering accurate information addressing the concerns of local communities.
Regular meetings with officials from Gandaki Rural Municipality were conducted to update them on project progress and also their regular feedback was incorporated into the activities while implementing them.
A documentary video highlighting the Chepang community and the project's impact will be produced at the end of the project.
20 Chepang girls have been successfully trained as Youth Champions and 4 local coordinators from the same community have been mobilized, providing them with the income generating opportunity.
4 schools have been supported with certain menstrual-friendly infrastructure.
Over 600 people (adolescents and adults) have been reached through activism and intra-school competitions.
611, Shrijanshil Marg, Basundhara, Kathmandu, Nepal
phone : +977 9847697791
Email : mail.visim@gmail.com
Website : www.visim.org
Visim envisions creating visible impact on lives of every girl, every woman and every youth by unleashing the social and economic leadership of girls, women and youth through beneficiary-partnered innovative interventions.