DIBRUGARH, May 28 - With an aim to foster better and scientific menstrual hygiene management for girl students, the Dibrugarh Chapter of �Project Sakhi: A ray of hope� was launched at a function held at Dibrugarh Government Girls� Higher Secondary and Multi-Purpose School today in presence of Dibrugarh Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha and Executive Director, ONGC, Assam Asset SD Maske.
The project envisages dealing with the issue of drop out and absenteeism prevalent amongst adolescent girls in a systematic and self-sustaining manner and as part of the project, 23 government girls schools will be provided sanitary napkin vending machine and incinerator which will benefit 6,232 girl students.
The project would also ensure the formation of WASH groups in all these schools with a nodal teacher for disseminating good habits of safe and hygienic disposal practices, removal of taboo and other sanitation issues.
Attending the programme, Dibrugarh Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha said periodic absenteeism owing to the menstrual cycle and drop out from schools after attaining puberty have always been a matter of concern at the individual as well as societal level in the hinterland of rural India.
In order to address this issue, the district administration has embarked on a mission in consonance with Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin�s objectives by initiating the Dibrugarh chapter of the menstrual hygiene management programme, named �Sakhi: A ray of hope�.
He also stated that an estimated 23 million girl students in India drop out of school when they reach puberty due to lack of knowledge on proper menstrual hygiene practices. The project has been conceptualised and implemented by Dibrugarh district administration and funded by ONGC, as part of its corporate social responsibility.
The inaugural function was organised by the district administration in collaboration with UNICEF.
