I've been to multiple schools to give awareness sessions on menstrual hygiene and there are these two moments which I'll never forget. The first one was at a school in Kathmandu (it was not an elite school but a medium leveled one) 1/n https://twitter.com/j3Rii/status/1266042199386370049

and I just raised a pad and asked the boys what it is (they were 9&10th graders) and none of them uttered a word. A person of that age can easily answer what it is right? And half of the boys stared giggling. I then asked a girl and she answered what it was confidently. 2/n

The boys were still giggling still not speaking anything. I was so taken aback that they couldn't even say the word 'periods'. I asked them would you buy a product for your mom/sister if they need one and one replied with 'no fohori kura ho tyo'. 3/n

I tried to explain that it wasn't fohori to that guy & failed miserably. That was one of the worst sessions I ever had. Last ma niskiney bela samma ni the boys of that class couldn't even say yes I'll buy sanitary napkins for my mother/sister. I felt so bad after that session 4/n

And another session was at a school on Lubhu (a government school) and I had no hopes that it could go well. I had an audience of 6-10th graders all crammed up in one room. But, when I just started speaking I could feel the audience was good. 5/n

I asked if any of the boys has ever bought a sanitary pad and half the class raised their hands. I asked them what they knew about menstruation and all guys answered. They even asked me questions on how they could help their mothers and sisters when they were having pains. 6/n

They listened for nearly 2hrs without giggling and asking me questions which I didn't even expect from a 12th grader. (': this was my best session ever. Never had such a brilliant audience. 7/n

This made me realise how pathetic medium level schools in Kathmandu are and made me think about the time when I was in school and I need to feel so ashamed about periods. Asking for a pad or taking out a pad from your bad it was drugs was horrible. 8/n

What can we even do to change such mind sets? Will people here ever start 'normalising periods' ? When will school girls stop being bullied because of this natural process? Are half the menstrual sessions we give even remotely helpful? 9/9

This was the group of cuties form my second story

*from.