International Projects

“Stimulate and Astound the Latchkey and Orphan Children to get cared for and loved forgetting their Vacant Mind through Educational Gifts” under OTF International Assistance at JNNURM Colony, PBEL City, Gandipet Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana State, India – 500086.

Activities Covered under programme:-

Awareness to parents, children, and community on “Issues of latchkey Children and their Mental Agony” and “Right to Education Act”

Awareness on “Importance of Childhood and Education to each child”

Teachers Training - Awareness creation and strengthening of school teachers and Committees (PTA)

Cultural Activities

Distribution of Notebooks, Utensils, & Educational materials.

Awareness to parents, children, and community on “Issues of latchkey Children and their Mental Agony” and “Right to Education Act”

5 Sessions were conducted by Jagruthi Rural Development Society (JRDS) on the issues of Latchkey Children and their Mental Agony and Right to Education Act.

The following resource persons took the sessions: - 

1. Sri. S.Bhoopathi Rao Garu - Project Director, National Child Labour Project – Ranga Reddy District, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Govt. of India.

2. Smt.Reshma - Joint Secretary, Jagruthi Rural Development Society (JRDS), Golconda, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India.

3. B.Sandeep Kumar - Director, Jagruthi Rural Development Society (JRDS), Golconda, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India.

4. S. Yellaiah Goud – Director, VARD NGO, Rajendranagar Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana State, India.

5. Smt.Sravani – Teacher, Rajendranagar Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana State, India. 

Effects of being latchkey children and Right to Education were explained in the sessions; the following points were Covered under the sessions as The effects of being a latchkey child differ with age. Loneliness, boredom, and fear are most common for those younger than ten years of age. In the early teens, there is a greater susceptibility to peer pressure, potentially resulting in such behavior as alcohol abuse, drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, and smoking. The behaviors might stem from "unspent energy, peer pressure to misbehave, or hostility because of the lack of appropriate adult attention". However, some children experience other effects, such as early development of self-reliance, adaptation to difficult situations, and a desire to contribute to a visible need in the household. Socioeconomic status and length of time left alone can bring forth other negative effects. In one study, middle school students left home alone for more than three hours a day reported higher levels of behavioral problems, higher rates of depression, and lower levels of self-esteem than other students. 

Right to Education Act (RTE) provided free and compulsory education to children in 2009 and enforced it as a fundamental right under Article 21-A. The Right to Education serves as a building block to ensure that every child has his or her right to get a quality elementary education. The RTE Act aims to provide primary education to all children aged 6 to 14 years.

“Provide Awareness and training in managing menstrual hygiene and Distribution of sanitary pads, hand sanitizers, soaps & masks to adolescent school girls to help them cope with physical and psychological pains they undergo during their menstrual periods.” at Zilla Parishad High School - Shamshiguda, Kukatpally Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana State, India. 

Activities Covered under the programme:-

ü Awareness programme in managing menstrual hygiene.

ü Training programme in maintaining physical and psychological fitness and maintaining menstrual hygiene for students, teachers, and parents. 

ü Awareness on “How to create a healthy environment for adolescent girls at home and school” for teachers and parents.

ü Cultural Activities

ü Distribution of Sanitary pads, hand sanitizers, soaps, masks, notepad, and pens

Awareness programme in managing menstrual hygiene & How to create a healthy environment for adolescent girls at home and school” for teachers and parents.

The session was conducted by Jagruthi Rural Development Society (JRDS) on the Awareness on managing menstrual hygiene.

They were made aware of Menstruation and menstrual practices as they still face many social, cultural, and religious restrictions which are a big barrier in the path of the menstrual hygiene management. These girls of Zilla Parishad High School - Shamshiguda, Kukatpally Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana State, India are not prepared and aware of menstruation so they face many difficulties and challenges at home, schools, and workplaces. While reviewing the literature, we found that little, inaccurate, or incomplete knowledge about menstruation is a great hindrance in the path of the personal and menstrual hygiene management. These girls and women have very less or no knowledge about reproductive tract infections caused due to ignorance of personal hygiene during menstruation time. In these areas, girls and women do not have access to sanitary products or they know very little about the types and methods of using them or are unable to afford such products due to high cost. So, they were mostly relying on reusable cloth pads which they wash and use again. The needs and requirements of adolescent girls and women are ignored despite the fact that there are major developments in the area of water and sanitation. Women Should manage menstruation differently when they are at home or outside; at home, they dispose of menstrual products in domestic wastes and public toilets and they flush them in the toilets without knowing the consequences of choking. So, there were educated and made aware about managing menstrual hygiene and the effects of the environmental pollution and health hazards associated with mishandling them. Implementation of modern techniques like incineration can help to reduce waste. 

Smt.Rama Laxmi – Gazetted Head Mistress of ZPHS Shamshiguda providing awareness on managing menstrual hygiene & How to create a healthy environment for adolescent girls at home and school” for teachers and parents.

Training programme in maintaining physical and psychological fitness and maintaining menstrual hygiene for students, teachers, and parents.

The session was conducted by Jagruthi Rural Development Society (JRDS) on maintaining physical and psychological fitness and maintaining menstrual hygiene for students, teachers, and parents. 

They were explained that exercise is commonly cited as a remedy for menstrual symptoms. The purpose of the present program evaluated the effect of a period of exercise on physical and psychological symptoms of menstruation, dysmenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, and amenorrhea.

The physical fitness training program included physical fitness exercises (cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, agility, speed, strength; duration: 90 min, intensity: 50 to 70% of maximum heart rate).

Smt.Latha Sri - Physical Educational Teacher & Smt.Arundhati - Bio-Science Faculty of ZPHS Shamshiguda providing awareness on maintaining physical and psychological fitness and maintaining menstrual hygiene for students, teachers, and parents

“Cultural Activities and Honor to the Guests, Teachers, Participants were conducted as a part of programme.”

Distribution of Sanitary pads, hand sanitizers, soaps, masks, notepads, and pens.

120 Children benefited from this activity and materials Sanitary pads, hand sanitizers, soaps, masks, notepads, and pens were distributed to the girls. Sri.D.Venkatesh Goud – Corporator, Kukatpally – GHMC, Telangana Participated actively in the programme 

Conclusions: 

Menstrual hygiene was promoted by implementing a course on menstruation and menstrual hygiene management. Teachers were trained to impart knowledge about menstruation and menstrual hygiene management among students. Social and electronic media also played an important role to make the girls and women aware about the latest menstrual products, different manufacturers, government policies, and so forth. Topic Subsidies should be given on menstrual products so that every girl/woman can afford them easily was discussed. Jagruthi Rural Development Society(JRDS) came forward with the Support of the Ontario Teachers Federation(OTF/FEO)-Toronto to educate these people about menstruation, menstrual hygiene management, the importance of toilets at homes, hand washing, diseases related to reproductive tract due to poor hygiene, and so forth. Emphases were given on the use of reusable sanitary or cloth pads to overcome the problem of disposal. Girls and women were made aware of the consequences of disposing of used menstrual products in the open or flushing them in toilets. Dustbins with proper lids should be placed in the toilets. If possible, incinerators should be installed at homes, schools, and community levels. This programme reveals that lack of privacy is a major concern both in households and in schools. Also, ignorance, misconceptions, unsafe practices, and illiteracy of the mother and child regarding menstruation are the root causes of many problems. So, there is a big need to encourage adolescents at school levels to practice safe and hygienic behaviors.