Waiting on the paediatric OPD of Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) in Mumbai’s Parel, the two-and-a-half-year-old’s eyes mild up. “Maa, look! There’s a dog!” he squeals in delight. The room, stuffed with paediatric most cancers sufferers and their anxious dad and mom, focuses its consideration on the furry, four-legged therapist who has simply walked in year-old golden retriever Myra.
A delicate lick and a heat snuggle from Myra places the youngsters, lots of whom had been crying in anticipation of their assembly with docs, relaxed. A dancing session follows, with the youngsters grooving to Bollywood music.
In an try to curb despair and different psychological well being points that youngsters affected by cancer are prone to face, canine remedy periods had been launched in January at TMH, one among India’s high most cancers hospitals. The periods happen twice per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
What may be the proper strategy to take the conversations round menstrual well being and hygiene in areas the place myths and taboos rule the mindset? Thane-based Nishant Bangera, the founding father of Muse Foundation, determined to do it via a pageant that celebrates menstruation as an alternative of isolating menstruators and shunning the dialog across the topic.
Celebrated in May yearly, the week-long pageant aptly referred to as ‘Maasika Mahotsav’ engages with menstruating ladies from all socio-economic backgrounds via a bunch of actions alongside different non-menstruators from their communities.
“It involves simple community-engaging activities. One of them is a relay race where women would clip drawings of a pad instead of passing on a baton, in order to make them comfortable with the idea of holding a pad in a public space. Other activities like threading a needle or peeling garlic involve everyone, including men to participate, to make them overcome the gender barriers even if in smaller ways. The festival also sees dance, music and theatre performances centred on women empowerment or menstruation,” shares Bangera, a former promoting skilled who began the pageant in 2017, three years after he entered the area of menstrual well being administration (MHM).