In August 2023, Marshela Aind, as part of the Lankarpara co-operative, entered Anahat’s livestock programme. With 3 initial female goats from Anahat, she bred them with care and multiplied them to 5. She then sold 2 of these, earning ₹6,000, with which she could buy monthly rations and continue providing for her young daughter. Through livestock rearing and allied sessions in SRHR, menstrual health and financial literacy, we aim to help individuals attain a decent standard of living by equipping them with the resources to do so on their own. Marshela is a tea plantation worker from Lankapara, supporting her family of two (husband and daughter, while her 29-year-old son has migrated to Kerala in search of employment). Gentle by disposition, she, like many around her, continues to care for her family and home despite irregular income caused by the dysfunctional tea gardens of Lankarpara.

Rita is the first member of her family to appear for the Class 10 board examinations – a milestone no one before her had the opportunity to achieve. She is also one of 60 feisty teenage girls who are defying entrenched gender stereotypes by playing football on a field traditionally meant for the boys of the village.

We met Kalesia Bara, a 17-year-old girl living with her parents in Gungaram Tea Gardens at Darjeeling. Kalesia is a student of class XI studying in a nearby Government school and currently attending online classes due to the pandemic. She was very uncertain about her education as her parents had made arrangements for her wedding in the coming months. Our team got acquainted with her during the training workshop we conducted with women tea plantation workers under Project Unnati.

Kalesia attended our livelihood training on making reusable cloth pads. She is one of the fastest learners and has so far made more than 300 cloth pads and other menstrual care products. With her growing alternative income, she feels optimistic about her future and wants to fund her own education even after the marriage.

During a conversation about our SRHR sessions with Lankarpara & Dalmore Panchayat officers and health workers, a young boy named Samar said the word “penis” a few times — without hesitation, shame or a second thought. He didn’t even look back at Aanchal, Sujit or Anil for reassurance or approval. It was a simple moment, but a deeply gratifying one — a clear sign of the progress we are making in breaking the cycle of stigma and silence around natural biological processes.

Soumini is one of the beneficiaries of Project Unnati from Nadia district (Indo-Bangladesh borders). She is 25 years old living with her parents and younger sister. Soumini’s father is a construction labourer and her mother is engaged in agricultural work. Soumini’s sister was a child bride and even Soumini was forced into marriage at a very early age but fought her way through it and completed her schooling from a local government school. She is currently in 2nd year of her graduation and also got engaged with Anahat’s #ProjectUnnati in making reusable cloth pads which helped her in paying for her tuition expenses and also supported her family during the uncertain times of the pandemic. 

Bindu Minz is 34 years old living with her husband who is a truck driver and her 6 year old son. We met Bindu Di during our training in Gungaram Tea Garden, Phansidewa block and her bright smile instantly caught our attention. She runs a small snack shop selling Momos and Thupka in Macchwa line, Gungaram Tea Garden. Everyday after the training, we would eagerly wait for her to serve us momos and soup which she used to lovingly prepared for us in her home. In one of her interviews with our team she said that disposing one time use sanitary pads in her area has been a hassle for her and the other ladies and it has also forced some of them to go back to using cloth during menstruation. When she was introduced to a re-usable cloth pads a few months back it took her very little time to get accustomed to using it. She eagerly looks forward to making reusable cloth pads not just for earning an alternative livelihood but also for solving the problem of menstrual waste management in her area. 

Sumita is one of the beneficiaries of Project Unnati from Nadia district (Indo-Bangladesh borders). She is 23 years old living with her parents. Sumita had been engaged in making hand rolled cigarettes called beedis in the Hanskhali block of Nadia in the Indo- Bangladesh border. She earns Rs 140 for making 1000 beedis. Unable to keep up with the target she is able to roll only 2000 beedis in a week thereby earning Rs 280 weekly. Sumita is reluctant to make beedis anymore and is struggling to find other alternative livelihood opportunities. She also takes tuition classes at home for small children in her village.

Sumita was excited about attending the pad making session under #projectunnati and very enthusiastic in making sustainable reusable cloth pads. In her first order Sumita earned Rs 1200 from making re-usable cloth pads and also assisted in distribution of pads in her neighboring villages. In future she wants to be engaged in similar activities and looks forward to receiving more orders from us.

Aparna Mondal is 36 years old and lives with her husband and a 7 years old daughter in a small village of Kankura Masat, South 24 Paranagas. She along with her husband runs a small grocery store in her house. Income from one source is never enough for a family and hence they have to resort to alternative sources like poultry etc. In order to help her family in such trying times she attended our training on making re-usable cloth pads. Since the training she has made more than 1000 pads and has been able to support her family in some way. Her daughter studies in class 3 and Suprabha and her husband wants to give their daughter the best education possible so that she lands a respectable job. They feel that daughters should be raised in the same manner as a son and we salute them for keeping such a mindset in these times.

We met Kishori Lakhra during our recent training in Gungaram tea garden, Darjeeling. She is 26 years old living with her husband and in-laws. She recently got married and is currently not engaged in any occupation but she is actively looking for work opportunities to support her family. Her husband works as a road construction worker. Kishori has managed to complete class 10 from a school in the Alipurduar district where she lived before her marriage. Kishori said that she used old clothes also along with disposable sanitary pads during menstruation as sanitary pads available in her area were expensive and she could not afford it for all her cycles.

On learning about the idea of reusable cloth pads she was very excited and attended the training with great enthusiasm. Kishori has not just learnt to make reusable cloth pads but she also wants to teach other women and young girls from the other tea gardens. She says that when she will visit her parents’ place she will explain the idea of using reusable cloth pads to her sisters and also train them into making the pads.