Padala Charitable Trust - Blog by pctonlineinfo

Empowering Health Workers for Child Safety: A Step Toward Stronger Communities

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 09:48:33 +0000

👩‍⚕️ Our Health Workers Just Became Child Safety Champions! 🛡

📍 Rachapalli & Thondangi just witnessed something POWERFUL!

Our SFLB Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions took a beautiful turn this time —

not with school staff, but with our real everyday heroes:

👩‍⚕️ ASHAs

🧑‍⚕️ ANMs

💉 MLHPs

These are the people who 🚶‍♀️ walk into our homes, ❤️ care for our little ones, and 🤝 always show up when we need them most.

Here’s what they learned:

🧠 Body Awareness – how to teach it clearly and confidently

✋ Safe Touch vs Unsafe Touch – how to identify & explain it

🛡 Handling Unsafe Situations – calmly & effectively

💬 Speaking to Children – with care, love & trust

With the strong support of the District Medical & Health Officer (DMHO), this was a BIG step forward in protecting every child in our villages.

💬 “Child safety is not just a teacher’s job… It’s EVERYONE’S responsibility – including our health workers!”

Let’s 🌱 raise awareness, 🛡 protect innocence, and 🤝 build safer, stronger communities together!

PCTs Efforts for Road Safety Awareness

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 11:02:00 +0000

Author : Anne Alekhya, Program Manager

ROAD SAFETY WEEK in India is celebrated from Jan 11th to Jan 17th every year. This year, the Department of Transport in Kakinada is conducting a campaign for a month in hopes of minimizing accidents and increasing safety. Check out this news from Sakshi on 24th Jan 2024 which lists all the activities scheduled

Stealing their Childhood?

At Padala Charitable Trust (PCT), we include the topic of ROAD SAFETY in our awareness programs such as Swechha for Little Birds (SFLB), Swechha for Girls and Boys, and Student Empowerment Training (SET). The ROAD SAFETY module covers the following topics – (1) Safety Measures to follow while on the road whether a person is in a vehicle or walking, (2) What to do to keep the roads Clean and Safe?, (3) What not to do to keep the roads Clean and Safe?, (4) “Speed Thrills but Kills” concept, and (5) Consequences of Rash Driving.

Times of India on Nov 1st, 2023 published an article that revealed the government data regarding deaths caused by road accidents, “Speeding was responsible for 70% of road deaths in India in 2022, which saw a record-breaking 168,491 fatalities and 440,000 injuries. Failure to use safety devices, such as helmets and seat belts, was the second leading cause of deaths. Over 50,000 two-wheeler riders died due to not wearing helmets, while 16, 715 deaths were linked to not wearing seat belts. India has the highest number of road fatalities globally, accounting for 11% of total deaths.”

We include the ROAD SAFETY topic in our awareness modules to instil and encourage children from a younger age to practise safe rules of the road while walking or driving and to think of the consequences of their choices.

Adolescent Boy Education: Gender Sensitization, Health Education, and Awareness on Toxic Masculinity

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 06:11:00 +0000

Author : Pavani Sairam, Program Manager

Adolescent Boy Education in India: Swecha for Boys

For more than a decade, we have been conducting awareness sessions for Adolescent Girls, wherein we covered: Menstrual Health & Hygiene, Child Marriages, and Child Sexual Abuse. After about 3000 hours of educating nearly 60,000 girls with the help of 20 expert facilitators, we decided that it is now time to educate the boys as well!

We developed a curriculum for Adolescent Health Awareness based on our innumerous interactions with them over years. The program officially took off towards the last few months of 2021. Our sessions systematically educate Adolescent Boys and address their doubts, fears and about the physical, psychological, and social aspects.

These interactive sessions revolve around reproductive health education, changes during adolescence, toxic bully culture, gender sensitization disorders, and the myths, belief systems and fears they carry.

Awareness about Changes in Puberty for Boys: Objectives of Adolescence Education for Boys

You’d be surprised to hear what they have to say before the sessions begin. While some of them would write that sanitary pads are just like diapers, some would confess their doubts of underlying reproductive disorders.

Some have questions about gynecomastia- Most boys freak out thinking that there is something wrong with them when they start observing the growth of their breast tissues during adolescence without knowing that it is a condition that many boys go through and that it is a temporary phase in a majority of cases.

Some open up about monorchism or having only one testicle and what its implications are. They express their fears and doubts about reproductive health and as the session progresses, the conversations are ushered towards the changes in their psychological markups and thoughts as they pass through their puberty. With no one to answer them and to put things into perspective, they have many unresolved questions.

Gender Gaps: Misconceptions about Sexual Abuse & Gender Inequality

If you notice, most of the talks and awareness sessions on Gender Gap or Sexual Abuse are planned for a female audience. Very rarely do we see such lectures in boys colleges. Why?

Because most of us have been guilty of assuming that :

Teaching the potential victims (girls) about their safety is the best way to combat sexual abuse and rape.
Girls are the only victims of Sexual Abuse and Gender Inequality

The burden of such ignorant assumptions can get very hefty: both at the individual level and at the societal level.

Only teaching safety to victims, shifts away the responsibility from the abuser to the victim. The same mindsets that result in victim shaming and blaming are the ones that pass on the responsibility of abuse onto the victim.
Men and Boys are also equally prone to be victims of sexual abuse according to surveys. But, Gender Stereotypes and ideas of Toxic Masculinity handicap the male victims of sexual abuse from speaking out and seeking required help- legally, psychologically, emotionally, and physiologically.

Importance of Adolescent Education

Against the backdrop of all these, such assumptions in the minds of the next generation of society builders, future leaders, fathers, brothers, husbands is a great burden to the society.

Such limiting ideologies would in-turn make the society more unsafe and might result in an increase of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and more controlling behaviours- which are all the by- products of the patriarchal values they inherit.

Such mind sets increase conflict and deepen ideological gaps between both genders, leading to a reduced quality of life within family and social spheres. In order to ensure that holistic education and broader perspectives reach the most marginalized students, we embarked on this journey to empower through awareness.

Through these awareness sessions which are conducted for both the genders separately, we address some key areas of importance for adolescents. In this article, we’ll briefly mention a few key components of the Awareness Sessions for Adolescent Boys.

Lack of Awareness about Sexual Abuse of Boys:

As we are studying gender inequalities in various facets, we are realizing that both men and women are negatively affected by certain kinds of gender stereotypes and assumptions to varying degrees.

The results of our extensive pre-session surveys of students show that: 68% of the students did not think that boys can also become victims of sexual abuse. Actual statistics suggest that about 48% of victims of some form of sexual abuse are boys. But these cases often go unreported.

Girls and boys are equally prone to being victims of sexual abuse and exploitation. So, shouldn’t we be creating awareness to our boys too? Shouldn’t we be protecting them too? This is why we talk about sexual abuse and ways to seek help in case of any such eventualities with both genders

Awareness on Toxic Masculinity and Women Objectification among Adolescent Boys: Need for Gender Sensitization

“We live in a generation where women are questioned about what is happening to them, as opposed to people questioning what is happening to them”. _ Trevor Noah

The idea that the victims of abuse are somehow responsible for an abuse is quite common- we call it “Victim Blaming”. In a country where we hear unfortunate cases of sexual abuse and rape on women in the age groups of 1 to 70; in a country where there are reports of animals also being subjected to abuse, it is the need of the hour to address such wrong ideologies among the next generation.

Before our sessions, a shocking 59% of adolescent boys believed that women’s dressing is the reason why rapes occur. Such assumptions are not just divorced from the actual reality- they are also deeply problematic.

In our sessions, we sight real case studies and everyday examples to discuss with the boy students about patriarchy, victim blaming, rape culture, bullying, stalking, gender inequalities, objectification and the issues women face.

This opens a dialogue and provides them the logical tools to think with greater empathy by understanding the plights of the opposite gender in a better way.

Importance of Gender Sensitization and Fighting Patriarchal Mindsets: Breaking Toxic Masculinity right from Adolescence:

As the world is quickly progressing, as more and more women enter the workforce by the day, as we start striding towards gender equality and equal opportunities by the minute, isn’t it also necessary to prepare the next generation of men to be gracefully ready for those changes?

Are we, as a society ready to welcome those changes by supporting women the way she should be in domestic and institutional spaces?
Instead of only glorifying women for being multi-taskers, how many of our men are taught to share the responsibilities and chores at home?
How many institutions are thinking of introducing the first day of period leaves?
How many men are comfortable buying sanitary napkins for the women in their lives?

Women’s empowerment is in one way a relief to most men and the pressures they face due to unrealistic expectations and toxic masculine stereotypes. Women being more literate or employed could be an added advantage that aids a family to come out of poverty- but some limiting mindsets prevent people from noticing that.

We all need to ask ourselves: “Is this the kind of world we would like to leave behind? Are we okay with our sons, daughters and future generations stepping into a world like that? Or, are we going to do something to actually break the chain of patriarchal beliefs right now?”

Our fight in PCT is to ensure that every boy who comes out of our sessions will start thinking as an enabler instead of an oppressor, and as a leader instead of a patriarch.

Scholarships for Students of Government Institutions by PCT India:

PCT gave out 5 Million Rupees in scholarships to the most needy students of our society and continues to do so. And have an experience of meeting thousands of government students over the past two decades.

But we realized that they needed more than scholarships and financial assistance to be the flag bearers of a positive change to their families and society.

Multi- Dimensional Inhibitors of Development in Students from Government Institutions:

SET: Due to stress from severe poverty, alcoholism within their families, lack of awareness about right parenting practices, social stigmas, lack of mentors that can impart life skills, the lives of students from economically downtrodden backgrounds are filled with turbulence and dejection.
Through our SET sessions, we impart life skills like: empathy, self awareness, problem solving and interpersonal skills to make them into positive forces of change.
Career Guidance- Sethu: Most of them are first generation literates and hardly have anyone to seek career guidance or examples they can look up to. Through these sessions, we counsel them about different career choices, entrance procedures, scholarship availability based on their skill set, interest, income opportunities, economic conditions, and their personal time limitations.
Adolescent Gender Education for Boys and Girls- Swechha: Toxic gender stereotypes, social stigmas and taboos, patriarchal mindsets, and lack of channels that deal with adolescent health are still prevalent in our society. Swecha holistically educates students about the changes they undergo during adolescence.

Swecha sessions for girls are running for 7 years now. They create awareness about menstrual hygiene, right nutrition, best practices for health, child sexual abuse, child marriages, and menstrual health problems.

Join us in our movement! Let’s join our hands in the creation of a better world!

Remember, all change could be just one step away!

Awareness – Global Handwashing Day Celebration

Sat, 26 Jun 2021 06:18:00 +0000

Author : Pavani Sairam, Program Manager

Every year, October 15th is observed as Global Handwashing Day. Because of the virus, now everyone knows how important hand hygiene is in protecting us from the disease. However, many do not know that, by washing our hands in a proper way, we could also keep away from many other diseases. In children especially, many deaths that are caused by diarrhoea and pneumonia every year can be greatly reduced just by washing hands. As an organisation that has been working with children for the past several years, one thing we know for sure is that we have to be creative, if we want to teach children anything. So, we used this no school period as an opportunity and conducted a competition on the very theme, Hand washing. This competition was conducted to a limited number of around 450 children, who are currently under the care of our project Vaaradhi (It looks after the educational needs of Orphan and Semi orphan children studying in government high schools). We have personally called and messaged every child about the competition and encouraged them to participate. On the theme, i.e Hand Washing, we have put three categories of competition. Essay Writing, Drawing, Talking on a video. Around 50 children actively participated and amazed us with their creativity. 11 of them were declared to be the winners. While every participant got a participation certificate, the winners got a story book and a cash prize of Rs. 500 in addition.

Beating the Broken: Victim Blaming, Shaming & Abuse

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 06:27:00 +0000

Author : Pavani Sairam, Program Manager

Our team once received a call from one of our Vaaradhi program kids from West Godavari, she was 14. Her parents passed away. So she lived with her brother & grandmother. An elder boy in the neighborhood inappropriately touched and abused her. Her brother thrashed her over this. To make things much worse, the whole village started blaming her, hurling crude words and slights. This is a classic example of Victim Blaming.

The poor girl was pleading us to join her at a hostel. She could not bear all the shaming and Victim Blaming. Our team soon planned a suitable intervention appropriate for the situation and went ahead with it.

Beating the Broken: What is Victim Blaming?

A few of us were discussing this, venting out our frustrations:

“She might have been forced or blackmailed. Maybe she was not aware of what was going on. Maybe she was too scared and froze. She was a kid, a 14-year-old kid man!”

“Isn’t it frustrating? The abuser molested the little child. But unfortunately, society is busy in Victim Blaming instead of abuser thrashing. The abusers force the child physically and the soceity forces its judgements and opinions, molesting the victim mentally. Shame on us ya!”

“Maybe the guy was exploiting her, taking advantage of the age gap and her vulnerability. Maybe she was being manipulated to think he cares or loves her. Maybe she liked it. She was an orphan, she was 14! Can she know any better? Why can’t they understand that?”

Every time I hear a story like that of the little girl who was beaten up for getting abused, it infuriates me. Not just about the physical beating, but also about the invisible dirt we rub on a victim’s already wounded mind.

We can’t expect others from the “society” to do much in the best interest of other’s kids. But sometimes, even if they have the best of intentions, the ones who are supposed to protect the child end up breaking them. This article is an attempt to prevent that by showing you the child’s perspective.

If you were sexually abused as a child or know someone who was, the story might make you rethink a lot of things. It might give you an idea about how to or how not to cause further damage to a survivor of abuse in the name of “teaching”, “caring” or “protecting”.

This is the story of me and an untold number of kids that remain unheard and invisible. This is the tale of Beating the Broken.

The Day all Butterflies Disappeared:

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I’d be airily browsing a book on this cozy terrace nook by the stairs, when a herd of tranquil dancing wings would appear out of our neem tree. Taking in the warm breeze infused with the faint smell of the white floret bunches, I’d run over a book of scientist biographies, scribbling fun maths theorems, or scrawl in my diary.

But that day, my legs were quivering & it was dark. I could hardly peddle through the last 2 streets to get to that warm house I grew up in. I could see my father and mother returning from somewhere. They must have been worried. I was late by almost an hour.

I finally reached home exhausted, shaken, frightened, yet relieved. My dad’s hard slap across my face only jolted me further. I was shaking under the dark gloomy trees near the gate. “Don’t beat her on the road, let’s go in” I saw my mother approaching.

Thanks for the “save”, mom!

Too exhausted physically and mentally to even climb the stairs- I felt the uneasy feeling rise as I reached the blue door. On any other day, I’d feel relieved that I could now eat all food, watch TV, and pester my sister till I partially fall asleep on her. But today, walking into the blue door felt eerily scary.

The two ribboned braids were giving me a bloody headache. I was annoyed with them. What did they do other than getting me 2 minutes late for school on every consecutive day?

Oh- wait! Those braids made my guys reprimand me E-V-E-R-Y D-A-Y about being a lazy bug & not waking up early enough!

I sat down, trying to make sense of what had happened in the past couple of hours in my life. That is when I noticed that my parents were getting louder by the minute- I was not paying attention. For how long were they talking to me? Did I just make it worse by not paying attention? Attention Sai! Concentrate…

An hour or more of screaming, questioning, and investigations ensued. Let me bore you to death with the details:

“Didn’t we tell you from childhood to never go anywhere with strangers? What were you thinking?”

“Two uncles came, they told me they were your friends from office. They wanted to give you some documents. So I went with them.”
“I told you a million times to wake up early and do yoga. In times like these, it’ll help your mind function better. But you never listen! How could you believe just because someone “said” something?! Why don’t you ever apply your mind!?”
“They.. mentioned your name. I did get scared after a while and told them you’d be worried, they said they’d call you up and explain. I thought…”
“How idiotic!! How difficult is it to find out our names if someone wants to kidnap you? Do you have any idea how tensed we were for the last one hour?”
“I’m sorry. I…”

“Of course, she doesn’t care about how scared we’d feel. She throws her lunch away carelessly every now and then.

You never realize how much effort goes into ensuring that you recieve this quality of life and education. Do you know how hard it was for us growing up? We never had any of these luxuries that we toil so hard to give you.చదువు మానిపించేసి, ఇంట్లో కుర్చోపెట్టి అంట్లు తోమిస్తే తెలుస్థుంది.”

Oh no, they’re bringing up my lunch dumping. I’m in big trouble. Seems like I’m about to be thrashed. It is better to play safe and stay mute. Besides, they’ll cancel TV time and watch like hawks for every mistake if I mess this up.

My heart, stomach, and brain were jiggling in an unsettling way. Why am I sweating like this? Did I eat too much?

“…You don’t know how tough the outside world is! If we send you to a hostel, then you’ll know. They’ll wake you up at 5 AM and the food will taste bad, then you’ll realize the value of mom & dad…”

Damn it! Not the hostel talk again! This is escalating. We are past the “you got less marks and are about to be thrashed” vibe. I shouldn’t have broken the white teacup. Ever since I broke it, my mom is out to get me every chance she got. I really should have been more careful.

I’m slowly realizing how devastating the past hour of my life was. Am I doomed? Will they really join me in a hostel this time? or.. Will they wake me up early every day and make me study to punish?

Tears were trickling down my eyes, nose, and… my skin! Is the fan even turned on!?

Shouting intervened my thoughts:

“… అందుకే అనేది .Classలో marks వస్తే సరిపోదు! Open your mouth and answer your mom! Learn how to respect your parents first! You have ALWAYS been irresponsible and stupid. Speak up! Tell us what happened?”

“Nothing. I started crying loudly and a few people who were passing by- slowed down. I don’t know what happened, they left in a hurry.”

Ok. I lied. Not completely, but I hid a few details. I am too exhausted to get into this fighting match now. My limbs were aching. If only I had more presence of mind to not follow those uncles in my return back from school, I’d be asleep by now!

“HOW STUPID CAN YOU GET? You are never aware of what goes on around you. You leave the lights on always. Last week, you even broke the white cup. You are always in your own bubble! No wonder you did this today. I’m not surprised.”

Those two uncles started rubbing me for some weird reason and I can still feel the yucky feeling way too clearly. I then started crying loudly as an instant response. A few people who were passing by- slowed down.

The uneasy shiver in the back of my spine is still there, isn’t it?

I don’t know what happened after that. They just left me there. I knew I had to be a bit relieved that they left. But amidst my sobs, they left me in the middle of nowhere! I remember calling out to them: WON’T YOU DROP ME AT HOME!!!? My Parents will scold me because… I’m late!!”

Maybe I could tell just this bit to amma and daddy. Perhaps I’ll get some discount on their anger? I asked those guys to drop me, of course, I was responsible. Of course, I knew they’d be worried! Right?

I still cringe every time I go back to that. “Won’t you drop me at home?” How lame! What was I thinking!?

My thoughts were again jolted back into reality. I must have missed a lot of what they just said.

“By god’s grace, nothing terrible happened. Else, we’d all be hanging ourselves now…”

These guys are really scaring me now- talking about joining me in a hostel and GROUP HANGING!? I think I did myself a favor by hiding the worst parts of what happened today.

Good thinking, Sai! You are not as stupid as they think you are. Lucky save!

Quick! Say something…

I’m sorry. I…

It went on further. But I don’t remember much of it now. I pretended to sleep just so that they would leave me alone. As exhausted as I felt, I couldn’t sleep that day. The events of the day kept flooding in my head and I felt suffocated.

Curled on my bed in a fetal position, pulling a blanket from over my head, I patiently put up with the stream of tears that were flooding my face rather uncomfortably. I couldn’t move, because I was pretending to sleep, remember?

You know… That day, inside the room I called mine all my life, surrounded by people I called my family, I felt more scared and lonely than I ever did. I wish grandma was here now! More warm streams of tears gushed out as I recollected her warmth. అమ్మమ్మా, ఇప్పుడు ఇక్కడ నువ్వుంటే బావుండు. “I wish you were here, grandma. I miss you.”

I tried not to snort, but the nose was busy getting blocked every 2 seconds. So, I silently started breathing from my mouth to avoid grabbing attention to my waking state. Smart! Naah?

Up until then, I thought I could run back to my parents if something terrible happened. But that day, it felt like I had to protect myself from a lot of things, but mainly mom and dad. That day, the house didn’t feel like home, it turned hostile.

I probably cried myself to sleep. That was the first memory of me feeling like a psychological orphan. I got no one by my side that day. I remember having countless sleepless nights, followed by cranky- late mornings and inescapable lectures on discipline ever since.

And from then on, I started hiding stuff a little more from my family. I spent less and less time with family and friends; also with people in general. The lazy afternoon reading slots enjoying the serenity of the leaves became things of the past. I’d sit under the tree shade in my house, hiding from my family- clouded with thoughts that would exhaust me.

So, I distracted myself- with books, homework, theories, maths, science, prayers, and food. I couldn’t bear my own thoughts or feel my own feelings. I was scared they’d break me if I didn’t distract from all that.

But the butterflies couldn’t distract me anymore. The butterflies disappeared after that, you know?

Why the caged bird doesn’t sing:

Quick facts: A kid’s decision to tell their family about their abuse gets decided way before they even face abuse. When teachers thrash kids in the classroom and when parents beat children every time a kid makes a mistake, it sets a fear monged dynamic between the child & its elder world.

This is probably why children don’t feel comfortable seeking help from parents or elders if they ever face abuse. But they feel safe sharing it with non- judgemental people- mostly friends who don’t do Victim Blaming.

Abuse thrives on secrecy. Victim Blaming and the fear of it empowers the abusers.
When the child victim does not seek help, it increases the chances of the abuse becoming repetitive.
Children are mostly scared of elders blaming them in return (Victim Blaming). This disables them from taking the help they need.

Our team is working on bringing more real-life stories of Child Sexual Abuse to create awareness on the after-effects of abuse. Sharing such case studies can help the survivors heal. Their close circle can understand and support them in a better way if they understand them better.

Feel free to write to us or talk to us about your stories of abuse if you are willing to. Remember, our team is always there to help you through this.

Much love,

Pavani Sairam.

This is the second article in the CSA case studies series.

Read more on the issue here: What is CSA?

Career Connect: Children’s Project for Career Planning by PCT

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 06:43:00 +0000

Author : Vamsi Krishna, Director, Projects & Training, Pavani Sairam, Program Manager

Leadership Building Program is a two-day workshop to inculcate leadership qualities in students from Government & Zilla Parishad high schools. The workshop employs active & participatory ways of knowledge sharing, like group discussions, debates, role-plays, quizzes, games, and project works; a perfect mix of fun, knowledge, and skill.

To see how this interesting activity took place at Gandhi Bhavan in Samalkot, watch the video:

The program began by selecting a bunch of 60 kids from 8 government schools of Samalkot Mandal, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. Padala Charitable Trust conducted its SSS program in these schools. Sixty proactive children were identified and shortlisted to be enrolled in PCT`s Leadership Building Program.

No time for Career Planning or no vision for Decision Making?

Have you seen a powerful horse galloping in scrambled directions because it doesn’t know which way to go? Neither have we. But have you seen anyone who has no clue about what they want to be once they grow up and what career they’d want for themselves? We have.

It is funny if you think about it: Everyone knows kids spend 13- 15 years of their life getting schooled. They prepare for a Career gathering information about grammar, anatomy, and thermodynamics day after day after day. Fifteen years of preparation without figuring out what they’re preparing for.

Won’t believe me? Just think about it:

How many sessions are allotted to subjects like Science, Maths, and English, and how much time is allotted to Career Planning?
Ten teachers, that teach concepts and geometry, how many that are allocated to Career Guidance?
So many assignments, lessons, and tests of memory in the name of examinations; how many are structured to make the child systematically reflect on a Career Path that’d make sense to their dreams, skills, capabilities, mindsets, and conditions?

Very less or zero, isn’t it?

How many hours did we spend thinking about what our career path should be? The institution of education is busy dumping a kid’s head with so much knowledge that there is no space or time left to reflect on their interests to decide a Career Path.

Figuring out a career path is an interesting yet tough decision. It influences your job satisfaction, affordability, lifestyle, and family life. And if you are amongst judgemental people, it’ll decide how much you’d be respected or ridiculed. As important as these seem, it determines the kind of work we’d be doing for 28% of our adult life.

PCT identified this as a serious gap in the education system of the current day. We designed a project as a part of LBP that will empower kids to start working towards an informed decision about their Career.

Project Career Connect: LBP

We gave the Career Connect project work to children during the summer break of 2019. It was commissioned as a part of the Leadership Building Program to enable children to understand what kind of career paths and life choices they have ahead of them. The students were asked to interview people of different professions, employment levels, and career stages in and around their village.

Children had honest conversations with people who held different perspectives regarding careers. They diligently worked and submitted their project books. When we met them again after their schools reopened, they outperformed our expectations.

They met, interviewed, and got a chance to know the life stories of nearly 530 people. Cumulatively, they all covered 95 occupations! The questionnaire is designed to understand the following:

How and why did they choose their career?
Are they happy and satisfied with their career?
Their opinion on the relationship between happiness and career choice.
Hardships and advantages in their career.
Academic or training courses they took/ plan to take for their career path.

What did the Children learn from Project Career Connect?

They presented their project works and shared their observations and insights with us in a meeting after the schools reopened. The project enabled the students to develop their communication skills. One student shared her experience of developing a newfound connection with her father through the interview.

Some people didn’t base their happiness on their profession, to some, career is only a means of earning. Some placed job satisfaction over salary and comfort of living ut still looked happy. Most people who had the same job were not equally happy. I realized that there is only a little relationship between one’s happiness, job satisfaction, and their salary.

The process helped them build connections with the professional aspects of the people around them. The kids learn a lot of things about the dignity of labor and priorities in life through this. The most important takeaways from the project are:

1.Matters of Perspective:

“I’ve met two farmers. Though both had the same profession, they didn’t feel the same way about their occupations.

A farmer’s interview taken by a student.

One farmer was unhappy in his profession. He regretted not being able to study while he was young. He shared how burdensome his work is and pointed out it was risky.

But the other farmer had an opposite viewpoint. He agreed that his job came with a set of problems and expressed how much he loved his job despite everything.

Hearing to different perspectives on the same profession, I realized that different people can have different experiences of doing a similar job. So it is important to identify which profession will suit one’s individual mindset and requirement.”

2. Entrance Process and Career Planning:

Interviewing people from different career paths empowered the kids to know about the courses, preparation, training, or exams one needs to take to pursue various career paths. While gathering information about how to pursue different careers, they will automatically think of what path suits them best.

It will help them check their affordability, skill, and other factors for their career plans. This knowledge is invaluable for children as they can get insights on the time and effort investment they need to make for a career path of their choosing.

3. First-hand insights & Informed Decision Making:

Most kids and adults can list many career paths. Ask them if they know how a typical working day of a professional in that field looks like and they can’t answer correctly. Most of us decide careers based on hearsay and title identification.

But most of us do not have any clue about the problems, perks, regrets, achievements, daily work routines, or occasional frustrations that follow a career decision. But these factors need to be considered while designing a career path. Talking to professionals in various fields gives these insights.

By seeking answers to such questions from the Career Connect project, the children automatically get access to the wisdom of various professionals. This will help them make informed decisions about their career.

Questionnaires of the Project:

A questionnaire was provided to provide a framework for their interviews. The topics covered the interviewee’s educational qualification, occupation, career particulars, motivations behind career decisions, job satisfaction, work style, lifestyle, professional joy & hardships, job prospects, and reflections on their professional life.

Questionnaire for Project Career Connect: The Leadership Building Program

If you want to give this project work to your kids or at your school, you can use the following questionnaires:

English Questionnaire

Telugu Questionnaire

Leadership Building Program and Career Planning:

The current education system and surroundings make the child think that their marks are the final judgment on their lives. Sometimes the students even commit suicide. Marks are not the ultimate markers of anyone’s success. Since they are kids, they may not understand that later on in life, they can find a life path with their own skill level and talent.

Planning an appropriate career, choosing the path in which one can excel most, identifying goals, and filling gaps are the main factors that influence future professional success. If every child understands this, they can be empowered.

The only way to learn these is by practically applying oneself to making a decision. We, at PCT, believe that when given a chance to experiment, freedom to express, and scope to learn, children can surprise us with what they can do. PCT promoted this as a part of its Leadership Building Program (LBP) at schools. The summer project: “Career Connect” applies this methodology of participative learning.

Talking to people of different professions, makes one reflect on the need of every profession in society and the dignity of labor. It may help them make informed decisions about their careers uninfluenced by societal expectations and peer pressure.

Most importantly, it’ll teach children to be active listeners, inquisitive thinkers, who can communicate and connect with people around them. The project is expected to encourage children to think about their own plans for their life and career. They can hone their critical thinking, decision-making, and communication skills in the process.

Developing these skills provides a solid ground to develop Leadership Skills. This project is designed to provide conditions that catalyze a kid to hone their Leadership Skills. By the end of it, they might have developed a perspective on their Career Planning, as the project work exposes children to people of different professions at the right age.

You can encourage your children to experiment with this project while they are at home. One can alter it to suit their requirement. The interviews can be taken from mobile phones. This can be an interesting and useful endeavor to spend one’s time on.

You can contact PCT if you have any doubts about how to turn it into a school/ group project. Feel free to ask.

Authored by: Vamsi Krishna & Pavani Sairam.

కరోనా జీవన నైపుణ్యాలు నేర్పిస్తోందా?

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 06:35:00 +0000

Author : Deepthi, Executive Director, PCT

Developmental Editing: Pavani Sairam, Program Manager

గత మూడు నెలలలుగా మనందరం వినపకూడదు అని కోరుకునే, కాని వినవలసి వస్తున్న ఏకయిక పదం కరోన.

ఈ ఆర్టికల్ లో కరోనా లో handwash ఎలా చేసుకోవాలి? మాస్క్ లు ఎలా ధరించాలి? ఏ మాస్క్ మంచిది? Sanitizer లో ఆల్క్హాహాల్ శాతం ఎంత ఉండాలి? ఎంతమంది రోజు చనిపోతున్నారు? ఇలాంటి వివరాలు చెప్పడానికి కాదు. కొన్ని interesting విషయాలు మాట్లాడుకుందాం.

ఒక disaster మనకి ఎదురయినపుడు భవిష్యత్తు ఎలా ఉంటుందో అనే బెంగ అందరికి ఉంటుంది. పరీక్షలు రాయాల్సిన వాళ్ళు, ఉద్యోగం వచ్చి results కోసం ఎదురుచూస్తున్న వాళ్ళు, ఇపుడే కోర్సు పూర్తి చేసి ఉద్యోగ వేటలో ఉన్నవాళ్లు, ఇపుడిపుడే లైఫ్ లో సెటిల్ అవుతున్నవాళ్ళు, కుటుంబాన్ని ఒక్క చేత్తో లాగుతున్న ఎంత మంది? వీరందికి ఉన్న ఒకే ఒక ప్రశ్న. నెక్స్ట్ ఎలాగా? Future ఏంటి?

ఇపుడు మనం గాబరా పడటం కన్నా కూడా స్వీయ అవగాహనతో ఉండటం అవసరం. ఎలాంటి పరిస్థితి వచ్చిన నాకున్న బలాలతో, దైర్యంతో వాటికి తగ్గట్టుగా నన్ను నేను మలచుకోగలను అనే నమ్మకం మన మీద మనకి ఉండటం చాలా అవసరం. దేశ ఆర్ధిక పరిస్థితుల పై నా ఎదుగుదల ఆధారపడకూడదు. నా ఎదుగుదల తో, ఆలోచనలతో నా సహయం నేను సమాజానికి/ దేశానికి అందించాలి అనే ధైర్యం కలిగి ఉండాలి.

రండి, ఆనందాన్ని కొలుద్దాం!

ఆనందానికి సూచిక ఏంటి!? అలా ఎలా కొలుస్తాము చెప్మా?

కొలుస్తారండీ! దీనికి ర్యాంకులు కూడా ఇస్తారు, తెలుసా? ప్రపంచ దేశాలు అన్నిటిలోకి ఆనందంగా (Happiness Index) ఉన్న జనాభా ఉన్న దేశాలుపై సర్వే చేస్తే మన దేశం 144 వ స్థానం సంపాదించింది. మొత్తం ఉన్నది 195 దేశాలు.

You can read about Human Development Index: Here.

Happiness Index Factors

ఇపుడు మనం ఆలోచించాల్సింది, మన దేశానికి 1st rank రావాలంటే ఎలా పక్క దేశాల నుండి చూసి కాపీ కొట్టాలా? లేక, malpractice చేసి 1st rank ఎలా సంపాదించాలా అనే కాదు. ప్రతీ ఒక్కరూ వారి వారి జీవితాల్లో ఆనందంగా ఉండాలంటే ఏమి చెయ్యాలో తెల్సుకొవాలి.

Lifeskills in Corona Times:

మనం ఎక్కువ కష్టపడకుండానే ప్రపంచ ఆరోగ్య సంస్థ ముఖ్యమైన జీవన నైపుణ్యాలను ప్రతిపాదించింది. ఈ నైపుణ్యాలు చిన్న-పెద్ద, ధనిక- పేద, లింగ, మత, ప్రాంత బేధం లేకుండా అందరికి నిర్దేశించబడినవి.

జీవన నైపుణ్యాలు అంటే మార్కెట్లోకి వచ్చిన కొత్త ప్రోడక్ట్ ఏమి కాదండోయ్. ఇవన్ని మనకి తెలిసినవే. కాకపోతే కుంచెం వివరంగా తెలిసి ఉండకపోవచ్చు అంతే.

కరోనా కాలంలో మనకి తెలియకుండానే మనం కొన్ని జీవన నైపుణ్యాలను పెంపొందించుకుంటున్నాం.

జీవన నైపుణ్యాలు 1: Coping with Stress and Emotions

ఉద్యోగాలు లేవు, షాపింగ్ లేదు, స్కూల్స్ / కాలేజీలు లేవు, సినిమాలు లేవు, పార్టీలు, సరదాగా బయటకి వెళ్లి నోట్లో ఏదోకటి వేసుకోడానికి లేదు, అన్నిటికంటే ముఖ్యంగా సీరియల్స్ ఆపేశారు, స్కూల్ లేకపోవడం ఇంట్లో పిల్లలని సముదాయించుకోవడం, బ్యాంకు లో ఉన్నదంతా నెమ్మదిగా బయటకి రావడం, ఈ పరిస్థితులలో భవిష్యత్తులో కుటుంబంలో అందరి పొట్టలు నింపగలమా? అద్దె, కరెంట్ బిల్ల్స్ కట్టగలమా అనే భయం..

మనకి మనమే మన ఒత్తిడిని ఎలా manage చెయ్యాలో తెల్సుకోవాలి.

ఇవన్ని ప్రతీ కుటుంబానికి ఉండేవే అయినా సరే ఇవన్ని తట్టుకుని, కరోన తో యుద్ధం చేస్తూ, మన ప్రాణాలని కాపాడుకుంటున్నాము. అంతే కాని కరోనాకి తల వంచి, బ్రతికితే బ్రతుకుతాము, లేదంటే లేదు అని అనుకోవడం లేదు. Coping with Stress and Emotions అంటే, ఒత్తిడిని తట్టుకుని, మన మనోభావాలను మనం నిగ్రహించే శక్తి కలిగి ఉండటం.

సమస్య ఎదురయినపుడు మన భావోద్వేగాలని తట్టుకుని నిలబడగలిగితే మన జీవితంలో ఎదైనా ఎదుర్కోవచ్చు

జీవన నైపుణ్యాలు 2: Interpersonal Skills

రోజూ చాలా వేగంగా పరుగులు పెట్టే మన జీవితంలో ఈ కరోన వలన sudden బ్రేక్ పడింది. దాదాపుగా అందరికి వారి వారి దైనందిన జీవితాల నుండి, ఏమి చెయ్యాలో అర్ధం కానంత కాళీ దొరికింది. ఒక్కసారిగా అందరికి బంధువులు, చిన్ననాటి స్నేహితులతో కాలక్షాపం చెసే అవకాశం దొరికింది.

మనకి గుర్తుకు వచ్చే సమయానికి వారి జీవితాలలో ఎన్నో మార్పులు జరిగిపోయాయి. ఇన్ని రోజులు ఏమేమి మిస్ అయ్యమో అనే విషయాన్ని మనం తిరిగి తెలుసుకుంటున్నాము. సరదాగా కాసేపు వారితో మన సంతోషాలని, బాధలని పంచుకుంటే ఎంత బాగుంటుందో చూడగలుగుతున్నాము. మనకి సంతోషం వచ్చినా, అనందం వచ్చినా నలుగురు ఉంటే ఎంత బాగుంటుందో అర్ధం అవుతోంది.

చెందమామ రోజూ ఒకేలా ఉంటుంది పర్ధూ.

కానీ ఒక్కొక్కసారే మనసుకి నచ్చుతుంది.

తేడా అక్కడ ఉండదు. మన Interpersonal

Skillsలో ఉంటుంది.

Interpersonal Skills: నలుగురితో నవ్వుతు, వారి బాధలో పాలు పంచుకుంటూ, unconditional గా ఉండటమే ఈ నైపుణ్యం. నాకు కష్టం వస్తే నలుగురు నాకోసం నిలబడతారు అనే భావన మనకి ఎంతో ప్రశాంతతని ఇస్తుంది.

కరోనా సమయంలో సాధారణ మరణాలు (non corona deaths) కూడా జరుగుతున్నాయి. Lockdown వలన ఇంట్లో వారు రాలెని కొన్ని పరిస్థితుల్లో ఊరు వాళ్ళే జరగాల్సిన కార్యక్రమాలను దగ్గరుండి చేస్తున్నారు. అందరితో సంబంధ బాంధవ్యాలు ఎంత ముఖ్యమో ఒక కష్టమో, ఉపద్రవామో వస్తే కాని మనకి పూర్తిగా తెలియ లేదు.

జీవన నైపుణ్యాలు 3: సహానుభూతి or Empathy

మనం ఎవరికీ ఫోన్ చేసినా అతి చక్కటి స్వరంతో వినే మాట “ మనం పోరాడాల్సింది వ్యాధితో, రోగితో కాదు, వారిని వివక్షతో చూడద్దు… వారికి సహకరిద్దాం “.
అలాగే, ఎపుడూ కని, విని ఎరుగానట్టుగా ఎటువంటి బేధం లేకుండా , అందరు ఏకపక్షంగా ఉంటూ, తమకు తోచిన సహాయాన్ని అందించడం చూస్తూ ఉన్నాము. ఆర్ధిక ఇబ్బందుల వలన మరణాలను దాదాపుగా తగ్గించడానికి కారణం, అందరు కలిసి మెలసి సహాయ సహకారాలు చేసుకోవడమే.

మీకు అర్ధమవుతోన్దా?

ఇదే సహానుభూతి అంటే. ఎదుటి వారి పరిస్థితిని అర్ధం చేసుకుని, వారి స్థానంలో , ఇబ్బందులలో మనం ఉంటే ఎలా ఉంటుందో ఉహించుకుని, వారికి సహకారం అందించడమే సహనుభూతి.

జీవన నైపుణ్యాలు 4: విశ్లేషణా ప్రతిభ

ఇంట్లో పెళ్లి ముహూర్తం పెట్టుకున్నాం, పెళ్లి ఆగకుండా ఎలా చేసుకోవాలి? Redzone లో ఉన్నాము, ఇంట్లో సరుకులు లేవు, ఎలా ఇల్లు గడపాలి? కరోన ఎక్కడ పెడితే అక్కడ ప్రభలుతోంది ఎలా మనల్ని మనం కాపాడుకోవాలి? అసలు ఈ పరిస్థితులలో పెళ్ళి పెట్టుకొవడం ఎంత వరకూ అవసరం?

అందుకే విశ్లేషణా ప్రతిభ జీవన నైపుణ్యం అనేది.

మన పనులు ఆగకుండా, జాగ్రత్తలు తీసుకుని ఎలా ఉండాలి? సమావేశాలని, ఆఫీస్ పనులని ఆన్లైన్ ద్వారా ఎలా అందించాలి? వీటన్నిటిని మనం చాలా ప్రతిభతో ఎదుర్కొంటున్నాము.

వీటిలో మూడు నైపుణ్యాలు దాగి ఉన్నాయి: Problem Solving, Decision Making, and Critical Thinking.

ఇవి కావటానికి మూడు నైపుణ్యాలు. కానీ మూడు వేరు- వేరు కాదు. సమస్యని పరిష్కరించుకోగలగడం (Problem Solving), మనం తీసుకునే నిర్ణయాల ద్వారానే సాధ్యం (Decision Making), నిర్ణయాలు తీసుకోవడానికి విశ్లేషణాత్మక ఆలోచన (Critical Thinking) అవసరం.

జీవన నైపుణ్యాలు 5: కమ్యూనికేషన్

కరోనా మొదలయినప్పటి నుండి మనలో చాలా మంది వర్క్ ఫ్రొం హోమ్ చేస్తున్నాం, అందరితోనూ మాట్లాడి సమాచారాన్ని సేకరిస్తున్నాం. ఈ లొక్డౌన్ వల్ల వచ్చ్చిన దూరాల వలన అందరం ఎంతో కొంత కమ్యూనికేషన్ ని మిస్ అవుతున్నాం, దాని అవసరాన్ని గ్రహించాము.

సాధారణంగా కమ్యూనికేషన్ అంటే అందరికి గుర్తెచ్చేది “గుక్క తిప్పకుండా అనర్గళంగా మాట్లాడటం” అనే కదా? పిల్లల దగ్గర మనకంటే చిన్న వాళ్ళ దగర వారు చెప్పేది వినకుండా పెద్ద పేద్ద భాషణలు ఇస్తుంటాం కదా, అదే మీ బాస్ దగ్గరో, స్కూల్ ప్రిన్సిపాల్ దగ్గరో ఇవ్వండి- ఎలా వర్క్ అవుతుందో చూద్దాం.

కాని కమ్యూనికేషన్ అంటే one way traffic లాగా స్పీచ్లు ఇవ్వడం కాదు.

సినిమాల్లో చూడటానికి, సీరియల్స్ లో, యూట్యూబ్ వీడియోస్ లో వినటానికి పెద్ద పెద్ద లెక్చర్స్ బానే ఉంటాయి. వాళ్ళు వినటానికి ఆగితే మనకి బోర్ కొడుతుంది గనుక. వినటం, విన్న దానిని అర్ధం చేసుకోవడం, దాని బట్టి మనం స్పందన తెలియ చేయడం. ఇవన్ని మంచి కమ్యూనికేషన్ లో భాగాలే. కమ్యూనికేషన్ ఒక జీవన నైపుణ్యం.

మూడు నెలల నుండి మనం ఈ నైపుణ్యాన్ని కూడా చాలా బాగా ఫాలో అవుతున్నాము. అన్నిటిలోను దీనిని అవలంబించడమే తరువాయి.

The Corona Talk…

ఈ lockdown సమయంలో ప్రభుత్వం తీసుకునే చర్యల గురించి, మనకి సూచించే జాగ్రత్తల గురించి మనం మీడియా, న్యూస్ పేపర్ మొదలగు వాటి నుండి ఏ విధంగా ఉండాలి, ఎలాంటి జాగ్రత్తలు తీసుకోవాలి అనే విషయాలని జాగ్రత్తగా ఫాలో అవుతున్నాము కదా?

అలా విని, అర్ధం చేసుకోవడం వల్లే కదా మనమంతా సాఫీ గా సాగిపోతున్నాం? మరి అలా మన దైనందిన జీవితంలో ఉన్నావారు చెప్పింది కూడా విని, అర్ధం చేసుకుని స్పందించడం వలన ఎన్ని ఉపద్రవాలు తప్పుతాయో, ఎన్ని అపోహలు తీరతాయో! ఇప్పుడైనా ఇది అలవర్చుకుందాం.

జీవన నైపుణ్యాలు 6: స్వీయ అవగాహన

మనలో నిజంగా ఎంత మంది ఆనందంగా ఉంటున్నాము? ఆనందంగా ఉన్నామా, కోపంగా ఉన్నామా లేక బాధని ఇంకొక రకంగా బయటకి తెస్తున్నామా? ఇలాంటి బేసిక్ విషయాలు, మన భావాల పట్ల మనకు కనీస అవగాహన ఉండాలి.

ఈ నైపుణ్యాన్నే మనం స్వీయ అవగాహన అని పిలుస్తాము.

స్వీయ అవగాహనకు ఉదాహరణ: మనకి ఎవరో అంటే కోపం వస్తోందా, లేదా ఈర్ష్య లోపల ఉండడం వల్ల వాళ్ళు చేసేది ప్రతీదీ చిరాగ్గా అనిపిస్తోందా? అసలు వేరే వాళ్ళతో మనని మనం పోల్చుకుని అస్థిమితం కలుగుతోందంటే, అది పక్క వాళ్ళ గురించి కూడా కాదేమో? మనలో మనకున్న తీరని, చేరుకోలేని విషయాల గురించి ఉన్న ఘర్షణా?

Unprofessional Emoter.

చూసారా మనం కరోన కారణంగా ఎన్ని జీవన నైపుణ్యాలు నేర్చుకున్తున్నమో, ఈ జీవన నైపుణ్యాల ప్రాముక్యతను చెప్పడానికి కరోన అనే సందర్భం ఇక్కడ వాడటం అనేది ఇబ్బందికరమయినా సరే, ఇది రాయడానికి కారణం మన నిత్య జీవితంలో జీవన నైపుణ్యాల అవసరం చాలా ఉంది అని వివరించడానికి. ఎలాంటి pandemic వచ్చినా సరే మనం మన స్వంత వ్యక్తిత్వాన్ని, ఆనందాలని వదులుకోవలసిన పని లేదు. అదే జీవితం. అలా ఉండాలంటే జీవన నైపుణ్యాల పై అవగాహన పెంపొందిచుకోవాలి.

మేము కరోన ని ఎలా అయితే ఉదాహరణగా తీసుకుని జీవన నైపుణ్యాల ను వివరించానో మీరు కూడా ఏదోక సందర్భాన్ని తీసుకుని మాకు మీ ఆలోచనలు రాసి పంపండి.

Concept Writing: Deepthi

Developmental Editing: Pavani Sairam.

Express Menstruation Contest: Menstrual Hygiene Day 2020

Wed, 27 May 2020 07:04:00 +0000

Author : Pavani Sairam, Program Manager

Last year PCT held an all men rally that encouraged men to understand and take better care of their women during their periods. This year, we conducted an online contest: Express Menstruation for children. An online live event will be held on the 28th of May 2020. Dr. Sailaja Kallakuri will speak on the topic of Menstrual Hygiene and common misconceptions surrounding it.

@ kakinada

This article is written to celebrate the Menstrual Hygiene day of 2020 with all of you. Children participated in our Express Menstruation Contest to express their ideas on menstruation and hygiene in ways so artistic, they blew our minds away! You can find glimpses of those here.

We thank every child who participated. You’ve shown remarkable initiative and imagination. Congratulations!

You successfully gave us a hard time making the judgment, we were compelled to make many changes and have many discussions. The list of winners and runner ups of PCT’s Express Menstruation Contest 2020 are announced at the end of this article. The winners will receive a cash prize of Rs. 1000/- and the Consolation prize winners will get a cash prize of Rs. 500/-.

Express Menstruation Contest: Menstrual Hygiene Day 2020

Out of all the activities that we conduct in schools during our Swechha sessions, two were picked and an open invitation to participate was circulated in our social handles. The response was fantastic. The kids came up with ideas, so amazing, that we had to increase the no. of winners we planned to have!

Menstrual Hygiene Day Contest Activity 1: Design your dream bathroom

“Most bathrooms do not have proper sunlight or ventilation. In my dream bathroom, I’ll make sure that both these components are included.”

Most children love art and getting creative. Kids dream and design their own imaginary house, balcony, library, bedroom, or kitchen of the future. Most wouldn’t think of designing a dream bathroom. But, kids love to participate when we ask them to design one. You’d be awed by the artistic value of the designs students come up with.

The reason for asking them to draw a bathroom is not just to test their art. Any learning that a kid learns through active participation will stay with them for a long time.

As the activity is clubbed in a session that talks about Hygiene and Health, almost all kids include ideas of sanitation and cleanliness in their drawings. By introducing the idea of designing their own bathroom in a dreamier version, the kids ingrain the idea of hygiene in their brains.

This is a good way to make them explore their own ideas of cleanliness and hygiene while saving them from an hour’s worth of boring lecture time. You’ll be surprised to know that the designs that most kids submit not only include a shower or a fancy bathtub, they also accommodate cleaning brushes and bathroom cleaners.

“I’ll place a money plant in my bathroom. It gives fresh air and can survive indoors. I’ll also place a clock in my bathroom. Most people waste their time, lazing out in bathrooms. Placing a clock will save time and make them more time conscious.”

The dust bins, cupboard to store pads that we often find in their drawings show us how integral Menstrual Hygiene has become in their thought processes. They drew mats to dry feet, hangers to hold towels, combs, hand wash, and lights. Their sanitation material also included traditionally used turmeric, along with soaps, liquid hand wash, bathroom cleaning liquids, etc.

This idea of having Time Clocks in bathrooms could save us all. Perhaps then our mother/ brother can stop nagging us?

We were surprised by the attention to details the kids had. Some contestants drew cabins and cupboards and labeled them to show that they’d store the cleaning equipment out of sight. The objective of our sessions is to create awareness and responsibility towards these issues, so the drawings are a gratifying testimony of that.

Menstrual Hygiene Day Contest Activity 2: Name your Period

Remember all the names we gave our best friend, just to annoy them? Getting a chance to name friends based on our opinions of them is fun. Isn’t it? These names are not generic, they are very special; tailor-made to suit them. They say less about who the other person is and reveal more about what they mean to us.

So, we asked our young students to name their periods. We were quite surprised by the creative names our young ladies came up with.

1. Metamorphosis

Citing the processes that are painful, yet useful; these contestants reflect the idea of periods being a bitter medicine: hard, but necessary. We all know the story of caterpillars turning into brilliant butterflies after struggling out of the cocoon, right? As this process is called metamorphosis, we got all the entries that follow the pattern under this theme. Students named their periods butterfly, education, land, etc.

“When an irritant enters the shell of an Oyster, it defends itself by coating it with layers of fluid it produces. Overtime, the irritant and the lustrous fluid around it give birth to gorgeous pearls.

So is my period. Though it is painful, uneasy and hard, the menstrual mechanism leads to child birth.”

Metamorphosis has a power about it. It depicts the turbulence that every girl learns to live with. Like a Phoenix rising from ashes, metamorphosis is a true reflection of every girl’s experience of the pains and the purpose of Menstruation.

2. The Bright Side

Out with the old, in with the new: some refreshingly quirky and positive entries also flew in. These remind one of all the reasons why one can love their periods. The general pet names given to one’s menstruation are those that somehow include the pain of the process too. But these entries lightened us up by taking us to the bright side of things.

The most quirky and fun word that stuck by us is ‘Red Mahal’. It is a reconstruction of the world wonder- Taj Mahal, a symbol of love and beauty. Just as the Taj Mahal is a marker of love, our periods also mark one of the loveliest relationships we could experience: motherhood. It was a creative and light-hearted take on periods.

There were a few such refreshing takes on Menstruation. ‘New- World’ is pretty much self- explanatory. The name: ‘Sulit’ was intriguing; it means ‘worth it’. Even though the Sulit touches pain, the optimistic and inspiring rhetoric overpowers the grim, doesn’t it?

3. Eyes on the Prize

Resilience in the face of suffering, that’s a winning attitude, isn’t it? A few of our contestants understood that. To remind themselves of the purpose of their periods, they gave names that remind them of their purpose; giving another purpose and meaning to their periods.

One contestant reminisced about the biological purpose of Ovaries. Explaining how the reproductive system functions to fulfill the purpose of childbirth tirelessly, month after month after month; she noted that that’s what her period reminds her: to be persistent in achieving her goals; to try any no.of times tirelessly.

Don’t you feel compelled to take her lead?

But, there was one specific contestant who puzzled us with the name she gave: Calendar. It is a very personal name for her as it relates to a hobby she built around her periods. She shared how she decides a specific goal while noting her menstrual cycles on a calendar. Her aim is to determine and achieve a doable goal within one cycle.

In this way, she has new goals associated with every Menstrual cycle of hers; and it is easy to keep track of it. This is why she calls her period, ‘Calendar’, to remind herself of the commitment she makes to herself every month.

Isn’t that brilliant?

4. Philosophical Musings

There are some entries that spoke for themselves. The depth of thought surprised us. Their rhetoric reminded us that, age does not limit one’s abilities to think complex thoughts. One such contestant named her period ‘Breath’.

“Breath: Any creature survives only as long as it breathes. God transferred the power of ordaining this breath onto a being, only to the feminine. This priceless power of motherhood came into my experience for the first time through Menstruation. They all say that Menstruation is a result of Brahma’s curse. But it ordains one with the agency to bestow life through motherhood. Menstruation enables life-breath of a being, so I call it ‘Oopiri’ (Breath).

Translations seldom carry the spirit of poetry. The above poem is a beautiful composition that lingers on the ideas of identity. The name the poet gave to her period is ‘Nenu’ meaning ‘Me’. It means: “I am the one who first introduced the femininity that resides within me to myself through Menstruation. So I call it ‘Myself‘.” Very artistically written in Telugu, this poem propounds self- sufficiency.

Every time we talk to children and give them a task, we are more amazed by the awesomeness of their imaginations. It reminds us of the value of humility. We go back a little more resolved to try a bit harder to give them a beautiful future.

Winners of Express Menstruation Contest

You can find the report on Menstrual Hygiene day 2020 here: Report Menstrual Hygiene Day 2020.

5 winners and 3 runner ups were selected for Design your Dream Bathroom. 15 winners & 14 runner ups were chosen for Name your Period. Winners are awarded Rs. 1000/- and Runner ups were awarded Rs. 500/-.

Activity 1: Design Your Dream Bathroom

Winners & Runers

Activity 2: Name Your Period

Winners & Runers

Congratulations to winners, runner ups and all participants of Express Menstruation contest!

You all are amazing!

A similar version of the article first appeared on PCT’s LinkedIn page: Find it here.

If you want to read an article that talks about the socio-economic factors involved in Menstruation and the kind of institutional changes required to support women in their Menstrual Cycles, you’d love to read:- Menstruation: Why men should also know about it?

– Pavani Sairam.

What AP X Class Examination Dilemma amidst the COVID Scare is telling us?_copy

Sat, 23 May 2020 10:54:00 +0000

Author : Pavani Sairam, Program Manager

AP X Class Examination: If you ask students why X standard is considered as such a big deal, what would they answer?

Students:

“Oh god! What kind of a question is that sir? We are talking about the AP X Class Examination! We must pass it, get good grades and earn the certificate. Otherwise, our family members and our teachers will be devastated. That is why we are not allowed to play or participate in any extracurricular activities. We are banned from excursions, arts, performances, sports and cultural meets until our brains liquefy from the repeated tests and retelling of lessons from the minute we start X class in the march to the very end of our last exam.

We are express fed syllabus that takes 9 months to complete within 6 months, discussing important questions in our question bank more vigorously than the subject concepts. It is in no way less than a war. Our parents, teachers, even neighbours are hyper-excited about the whole X class exam thing. Government authorities prep for it months in advance. They tirelessly fight to make us pass the exam “one way or another”. Do I still have to explain why X standard is considered as such big of a deal?

Stealing their Childhood?

Anyhow, whatever our adults do for us, they do it for a reason, no? That’s why we stopped questioning the exams, the hype, the system and the validity of our certificate. But, if I must be honest, I have no idea how our life is going to be from now, or how these X class marks change our lives. We sometimes wonder if someone can help us out by clarifying it. But we are too busy by hearting biology answers!

But sometimes few doubts creep up about the whole, all study no play situation: Why were we not so aggressively encouraged to the only study throughout our education up until X class? Are the concepts in those classes not that important? Until we finish filling the last bits in the answer paper of our last exam, we are solely focused on scoring better grades.

Quality education: Practical skills or fancy grades?

But after that we start another confusing journey- up until then, we were only told to look into the question banks. Suddenly we are supposed to make life-altering decisions about the kind of path we would like to stick to for the rest of our lives! How are we suddenly supposed to adult and take decisions? Most of us have never given much thought about what we like, where our strengths and capabilities lie. We have no decision making or problem-solving skills. How do we lead our lives from here?

None of us has any clue about it, nor do we have the kind of time to think about all that!”

AP X Class Examination: If you ask the same question to psychologists, psychiatrists and educational leaders, their answer would be:

X class and the years around it are indeed critical. These are times when children are undergoing rapid transitions to their brains. It’s the time kids learn the right lessons about life, not just lessons from their textbooks. Hormones flood their body during this time. This causes them to have physical and psychological changes.

Children are prone to fluctuating thoughts, fears, anxieties, delusions and a truckload of questions. If you gallop like a racehorse, it’s a mighty force. What would you do if your horse is running hither thither, without knowing what distance they want to go, where to, or with what speed? They have too many doubts and no chances to ask.

The teen brain is not a finished product; it is still in the making. Teens have questions they can’t voice out, but their minds seek answers naturally. They are more prone to be influenced by the thoughts, habits, situations, environment and people that surround them. All these play a key role in shaping their personalities. Teens must, therefore, be handled with lots of care, consciousness and attention.

You cant expect a fish to fly and then get upset!

Students who are as competent as their teachers are faring well and gaining accolades. On the other hand, a few kids are labelled “weaklings” just because they score lesser marks compared to “toppers”. Until this tyranny of labelling a human’s intelligent based on their grades continues, “weaklings” will be manufactured in the corner of every classroom! The kids are punished and insulted forming a poor self-image. This is very dangerous for society.

The AP X Class Examination dilemma in the wake of Corona:

It is being reported that divorce rates and cases of domestic violence are spiking during this lockdown. Why? We’ve ignored our family members, neighbours and every bond tied in blood in the name of earning. We’ve forgotten how good it feels to share; we’ve forgotten what it is like to coexist with our near and dear.

Emotional intelligence, problem-solving and critical thinking have become things of the past! We have run like racehorses long enough that we don’t even remember why we are running and where to! It is about time we rethink our priorities.

Nobody has figured out about ways to control this virus. Every week, the case counts are increasing. In the wake of all this, we need to rethink if X class exams need this degree of attention and focus even in the midst of a deadly pandemic.

It was announced that the exam pattern is set to change. The 11 papers are now reduced to 6 changing the sections, question types and marking system. Wouldn’t this unexpected change in patterns create more panic? If the exams are postponed by 3 months and conducted in July, wouldn’t that painfully long wait stress the kids?

Should they carry the stress of preparation for 3 extended months? To make things worse, they are now conducting online classes and circulating model papers and time tables with a forged signature of the commissioner of education. Is it even fair to stress out such young kids in this way?

How can kids manage their examination stress in the midst of a health scare?

Even if you believe their career must be prioritized, won’t easing up on the exams give them enough time to prepare for entrances like Polytechnic and APRJC?

They have decided to double the no.of exam centres. This means that children would be travelling to far off places than they need to. Red zone kids might have to appear to exam centres in green and orange zones. Everyone including the students, invigilators and authorities must wear masks and take protective steps. Even if we take all these measures with the utmost care, we can’t guarantee that some unfortunate mishap won’t happen.

In such dangerous circumstances, can the kids feel free to write their exams at the top of their abilities?

There will be lakhs of papers due for evaluation; students need to await the results for another 2 to 3 weeks. What will we all gain as a society by having our kids risk their life over this? Is the risk and worth it for them, at least? Should they scorch everyone in this way to give certificates that they are awarding to every other class? Crores of public money are wasted, thousands of teachers, authorities and kids are risking their lives.

Despite facing a crisis of this scare that is threatening lives and harmony of families, should we still go back to prioritizing careers, exams and paychecks over our lives, relations and happiness? If we are ok promoting kids from VI to IX standard, why on earth do we fuss about making the same life-saving decision for our X standard children? Are their lives and health less valuable than their grades and ranks?

Risking life for an exam? What is the point?

If Corona can’t be controlled by July, the exams must be cancelled anyways. Isn’t it better to make a decision right now instead of wasting 2 months? It’ll also save lives.

Is there anything greater than protecting the health of our students? Let’s think about things that matter!

On AP X Class Examination By P. Surya Prasad, Padala Charitable Trust, Kakinada, padalasurya@yahoo.com

Edited by Pavani Sairam

Menstruation: Why men should also know about it?

Thu, 21 May 2020 07:11:00 +0000

Author : Pavani Sairam, Program Manager

In the nuclear families of the current day, a woman may not have other women in the household to help her during Menstruation. She may need someone to take over her daily chores, time to rest, medications for her aches, or the right kind of food to put her at ease.

She could be feeling pain; a rubber hot bag ( Rs. 250/-) really helps. It can be used for any pain, is reusable, and a good investment of money. A woman might need someone to buy her sanitary napkins in emergency conditions when she can’t step out.

So, it is important that men also understand the needs of menstruating women to help them when needed. PCT celebrated Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28th May to spread awareness on the need for men to step in and support the women in their life during Menstruation. To find out our programs for the 28th, please scroll down.

A rally of men organized by PCT to spread

awareness and break the gender

stigmas around Menstruation.

Taking care of women’s nutritional requirements helps to have a relatively pain-free period. This is why it is essential for everyone in the family to be aware of what happens during menstruation. If you can keep a tab on the menstrual cycles, it helps in taking better care of our women, creating a family and society that is more emotionally intelligent and healthy.

If a woman can freely communicate her needs during Menstruation with her family, especially with the men in her life, she can get the much-needed help during painful periods. Whether she asks for it or not, it’ll be better if someone can be there for her through this.

Share this article with everyone, especially with the men you know.

Menstruation: Inhibitions to share are obstacles to care!

Are you a man who feels too shy to bring sanitary napkins to your mother, sisters, or wife? Are you a girl who is too shy to ask the men in your life to bring you pads, or to tell them that you are getting body aches and physical discomfort during periods? If the answer to either of the above questions is a yes, then this article is written for you.

Pregnancy is treated as a significant event with everyone in the family supporting the woman, menstruation is looked upon as a taboo and the subject is avoided intentionally. It is no secret that the topic of Menstruation is surrounded by lots of culturally imposed secrecy.

Every Menstruating Woman ever:

Just because I said I don’t need help,

does not mean I really don’t need it.

It’s a taboo and is shrouded by mystery. Because of this, a woman doesn’t receive the necessary support she needs during her period. We think that all the negative attention and excitement around its secrecy have bad side effects. Because of the inhibition to talk about it, women refrain from seeking the help they need while menstruating and most men have no idea that the women even need special care and attention.

Menstruation and Mental Health:

A woman sheds lots of blood and a layer of cells along with the unfertilized egg that is released in her body during menstruation; if fertilized, the egg will form a baby. Menstruation enables pregnancy.

See how hormones and organs work together to run the Menstrual Cycle? It might strike as seemingly insignificant, but hormonal changes kick off different stages of the Menstrual Cycle and lead to shifts in the mood of a woman during various stages of the cycle.

It is general knowledge that women need the right nutrition, attention to physical unease, and special awareness of her elevated emotional responses (read mood swings) during pregnancy. But how many of us are aware that menstruating women also need all these?

The mood shifts during menstruation are so significant that doctors performing post- mortem on female suicide cases first check if they are menstruating at the time of committing suicide. Chances of being in heightened emotional states are pretty high during Menstruation, leading to heightened emotions if things escalate during those days.

Supporting Menstruating Women in Professional Settings and Educational Institutions

Most girls have had days when they were in the middle of a class when they realize that they got their period. A feeling of panic follows. Sometimes they may not have a sanitary napkin and struggle to ask their friends without getting called out by the teacher for disturbing the class. Some of them might have stained their clothes or felt immense pain but hesitated to ask for permission to leave school to rest or change clothes.

PCT Team holds workshops for faculty too. Like any other group, awkwardness, hesitance, and sheepishness are the initial reactions to the topic. If teachers feel hesitant to get the necessary awareness on the issue, how can they enable their students to seek help without hesitation? The session tries to understand Menstruation, and its physiological, psychological, financial, and cultural aspects.

PCT Session for the Teachers of Government Polytechnic

College, Kakinada.

Teachers must feel free to help girls during hard menstruation days. So it is essential for them to have enough awareness of Menstruation and methods of responsible intervention to support girls in such situations. In the same way, if workspaces are sincere about having a good working environment for women, they can become more accomodating to the needs of menstruating women.

Workspaces are inclusive of Pregnancy. They provide paid holidays and maternity leaves for months. But the same institutions are relatively silent on extending similar care for Menstruation. Very few office spaces are open to a dialogue on the needs of menstruating women. An “fop” or “first day of a period” leave can be the first step in that direction.

The Economy of Menstruation: Finances affecting Menstrual Hygiene

Every time we go to a government school, a rural area, or a slum, we talk to the women about the menstrual hygiene practices they follow. Most often than not, they use cloth for their bleeding. Some women wash the same cloth and reuse it. It is not the most comfortable or hygienic choice they can choose from.

The first time a girl gets her period, it is called Menarche. In some parts of South Asia, a big function is celebrated to mark this event. In our experience in rural India, we’ve seen families going into debt trying to celebrate Menarche.

If one can let go of false prestige and pomp, the same amount of money can be invested in education, financial investments for the future, or giving the girl good nutrition for years to come. These would actually empower the girl.

They are hesitant to dry these menstrual clothes in the sun as they are too shy that the men and others will see them. The absence of sun drying and repetitive usage of the same cloth will result in the breeding of viruses and bacterial colonies on the cloth, leading to vaginal infections. They usually do not have access to gynecological care and suffer in silence.

There are several reasons why women do not use other options for Menstrual Care.

Collective Habit: They got used to using a cloth. Most of their peers use a cloth.
Logistical Issues: Unavailability of pads / menstrual cups in the shops nearby. Difficulty in disposing of sanitary waste due to a lack of waste collection options in remote areas.
Cost: A pack of sanitary napkins costs 20- 30 rupees. A woman would need 2 every month. She usually doesn’t feel like she could spend that amount of money for herself.

Some women buy pads for their kids but not for themselves. If a woman in a family is convinced that her needs do not deserve 60 rupees per month, that speaks more about how worthy, inclusive, and deserving she feels within the family. This is why awareness is important; this is where men should step in and support them in buying.

Due to several cultural factors, they may feel inhibitions to go and buy sanitary napkins. Family members can make women feel empowered and cared for by discussing their Menstrual Hygiene requirements and allotting a budget for it.

Within a family, pregnancy is treated as a group support project for 9 months. Many employers are sensitive to the needs of a pregnant woman giving her much-needed support like maternity leave. We all support a pregnant mother in every way. It’s about time we extend it to Menstruation too.

If you’d like to read about what our young ladies have to say about Menstruation: Read Express Menstruation

Written by Pavani Sairam