We had never talked about this in ourselves, nor even with our parents, said Madhuri from Sikharchandi Basti. This radio programme is something which we have longed for since long and now we are united and happily sharing our issues with the experts and get to know a lot of information which we had never heard of, said another 15-year- old girl Rubina from Ashok Nagar slum.
These girls are from the Sakhi Clubs, formed by Sunalo Sakhi project and are also part of the Radio listeners Club in their communities. Menstruation is still a taboo, and not many girls talk about it freely. This leads to health hazards and even maternal mortality rate. Radio being an accessible medium for these girls in city slums, Sunalo Sakhi is a unique attempt to serve and solve the issues related to menstrual hygiene, said experts at the community sharing workshop of Sunalo Sakhi project.
Jointly hosted by Practical Action and Centre for Child and Women Development, this sharing workshop witnessed the screening of documentary “Sunalo Sakhi” which has portrayed radio as a catalyst for change and well-being of these girls in the slum.
It is noted that SunaloSakhi is a flagship programme by Practical Answers, a unit of Practical Action. This programme has enabled thousands of young girls and women in the slums of Bhubaneswar to access basic knowledge on menstruation and common hygiene practices through a live phone in radio show running in the local SOA community radio 90.4fm.
“When it comes to reaching out to the needy communities, the technical intervention aspect of Sunalo Sakhi project is much feasible and hence proving beneficial for the girls,” said UNICEF Odisha Programme Communications head lopamudraTripathy.
“Menstruation as an issue in urban phenomenon needs proper mention and much discussion at the State level. It may lead to severe health hazard and Bhubaneswar is very prone to that,” said Dr Chayanika Mishra from UNFPA.
While witnessing thr workshop, chief PRO, East Coast Railway Jyoti Prakash Mishra opined very positively on the technical aspect of the intervention and encouraged the communities to take this forward. Dr Birupakshya Dixit, Coordinator India Program for Practical Action raised his concern about the sustainability of the programme and wished for better partnerships and collaborations in future.
On this occasion a short documentary made by filmmaker Nandita Anand was launched and screened.