How an adolescent-led initiative in Chanchki turned a taboo subject into a community conversation.

Where the Silence Lived

In Chanchki, a rural, minority-dominated village in Pakur Block, adolescent girls grow up without reliable access to sanitary pads or accurate guidance on menstrual hygiene. Taboos and myths keep the subject hidden, leaving knowledge scarce and infections unspoken. This silence around menstrual health is a barrier to health, dignity, and the advancement of an entire generation.

The Turning Point

Change began through a cluster-level intervention by the FACE IDEA project. With support from cluster facilitator Ms. Samima Khatun, adolescent girls joined regular ARSH (Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health) sessions to build understanding and capability, and were trained as Peer Leaders to lead within their own community.

Five trained peer leaders — Mariyam, Asma, Mujlema, Shubhana, and Sagira — formed the “Swasthya Sakhi” (Health Friend) group. Backed by their mothers, they launched a small community pad bank, pooling sanitary pads so no girl would be left without access. Their Adolescent Girls’ Group (AGG) meetings became informal classrooms where they taught safe menstrual practices, explained infection prevention, and began dismantling the stigma that had kept periods in the shadows.

What Changed

Though still early, the initiative has already moved the needle: awareness has grown, access to hygiene products has improved, and girls who once stayed silent are now speaking up and leading. The Swasthya Sakhis show that when adolescent girls are trusted with knowledge and backed by their families, even a modest idea can drive community-wide change.

Looking Ahead

The PAD bank is small; its meaning is not. In Chanchki, a group of girls has shown that the fastest route to a healthier community may run straight through its adolescents — and that the end of a taboo can begin with five young adolescent changemakers willing to break it.