Partners involved: Smile Foundation
Number of participants: 615 students
Activities:
Focus Group Discussions
The classes of adolescent students i.e. Grade 8, 9 and 10 were divided into male and female. Focus
group discussions were carried out among the students. There were moderators and reporters in
each group to guide the discussions. About 20 minutes of discussions about the problems went on
among the participants. This made the facilitators find the real condition of girl students regarding
menstruation and menstrual hygiene. Also, it helped to find out the perception of boys about
menstruation.
The main problems identified were:
Physical, mental and social problems faced by the girls during menstruation.
Myths and taboos faced by girls during menstruation.
Perception and understanding of boys about menstruation.
Health education
Following the focus group discussion, a presentation was conducted which included following
topics: Physiology of menstruation, physical problems that might be faced by girls during
menstruation and different methods to deal with various problems faced during menstruation.
During and after the presentation, different queries of participants were taken and dealt with. It
was encouraging to see the overwhelming participation of participants with their problems. The
facilitators convinced and dealt with the issues raised by the participants.
First Aid and Pads distribution
SMILE Foundation Nepal distributed pads and first aid medicines to the respective schools for the
use by students whenever necessary. It is thought to be made sustainable by charging a small
amount of money with the students each time they need it.
Recommendation
SMILE Foundation Nepal recommends for the open policies and discussions in the issue of
menstrual hygiene. Also, they insist the government, line agencies and schools to provide proper
sanitation infrastructures and facilities that can assist the girls during their menstruation in school.
