It is report time again. And yeh, we spent the money you gave to sponsor a Health and Hygiene Seminar in rural Nepal. I hope this makes you happy! Here are the details…
- 77 women spent two days at a live-in seminar teaching on Health and Hygiene.
- We served breakfast and a full lunch both days.
- Women (and their children) who could not travel each day were accommodated (and fed) in the church building.
- Topics covered included: kitchen hygiene, hand and body hygiene, cleaning clothing and around the house, how to treat water, development of the body, illnesses and sexual health, menstruation, conception and growth of pregnancy, drug/ alcohol awareness and education, importance of fresh air in the home and toilet sanitation.
- Question and answer time was given after each session.
- Romila (the presenter) gave time each day for personal consultation and inquiry. It was great to see both the younger single women and the older grandmothers equally engaged in the learning environment.
- Romila ( a nurse and health educator for 15 years) delivered the Health and Hygiene sessions.
- I delivered sessions on the value of women, their importance and role in family and community.
- All sessions were presented with power point pictures and diagrams.
There was opportunity for surprise and for laughter. The teaching on Sexual diseases complete with photos was received with the expected shyness, but with equal interest. And when it came to the lessons on the health of the female reproductive system there were many questions from the floor.
The Seminar also included teaching and discussion on the importance of women in the family, and the community. The theme we focused on was – ‘Healthy Woman – Healthy community”.
As the seminar was finishing we took some time to interview 6 women who had attended. When asked what would change about their daily lives now as a result of what they had learned, most answered, ‘improve their own personal cleanliness and teach their family’. The 61 yr old woman said that from the teaching she now felt that she had a greater role in her community beyond her home. Others said they were going to teach and share with others what they had learnt. Still others spoke of having a pap smear for the first time and of new understanding about the way their body worked. All said they would recommend the training to others and that the most important thing about it was there were no men in the training.
So two days travel in a jeep, two nights sleeping in a comfy homestay in the District of Nawalparasi, many meals of dhaal and rice and that Seminar was completed.
This Seminar came in slightly under budget, which is great. And now we are planning for two more seminars to be delivered before the end of the year. If you are keen to keep supporting this small but really effective project, let me know.
WISE WOMAN PROJECT 