2. SaniMart- a community led approach for improving
reproductive health of adolescent girls in Bangladesh
Aklima Khatun and Uttam Kumar Saha, Practical Action Bangladesh
The Sanimart approach has been piloted by Practical Action Bangladesh
under water and sanitation project implemented in collaboration of
Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), UNICEF and Municipalities
in Bangladesh. It has been found highly useful in promoting low-cost and safe
menstrual hygiene behaviors of the adolescent girls and addressing their
problems. The objectives of the approach is to enrich knowledge of the
adolescent girls on preparation of napkin and its use; promote use of safe
water and sanitation, personal and menstrual hygiene practices and develop
entrepreneurship to the adolescent girls. The adolescent girls lack
experiences and privacy to properly wash, dry, use and preserve napkins.
Menstrual hygiene is a major problem for them and the rural women. They
can’t share their tensions/fears as they feel shy to the elders, which leads
them to unhygienic menstrual practices and often cause great challenge to
their reproductive health. The Sanimart approach is a service and learning
centre to produce and marketing low cost hygienic sanitary napkin along
with providing other essential hygiene products (soap, detergent, toilet
cleaners, etc.) and primary health counselling services (BP, Weight,
Temperature) available at this center. The centre is managed by a group of
10-15 adolescent girls that helps them to earn some money and grow their
entrepreneurship. The approach has been highly appreciated by different
stakeholders as it brings multiple advantages to the adolescent girls i.e.
promotion of safe menstrual hygiene, protection of reproductive health,
develop entrepreneurship and scope of employment and earning income by
them, which, helps develop their self-dependency and increase their
acceptability in the community. Thus, promotion of the Sanimart approach is
important to the cause of improvement of the reproductive health of the
adolescent girls and to address their problems. Introduction of participatory
market system development (PMSD) approach can better contribute to
promoting and sustaining the approach.
3. A simple hand washing device can improve the hand washing
practice
Sharif Mahbubul Kuddus, Project Manager- Community Clinic, Plan
Bangladesh
Keeping hands clean is the best way to prevent the spread of infection and
illness. This is the first line of defense against common cold as well as other
more serious illnesses. The habit of hand washing can save more lives than
36 4th National Knowledge Convention