“If we had got these booklets earlier!” Beneficiaries Enthuse at the Interactive Workshop by HopeBox
In a step towards improving awareness of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) among orphaned adolescent girls, the HopeBox study team from AdSEARCH implemented their intervention by organising an interactive workshop at Sarkari Shishu Paribar (girls) in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on 6 and 7 September 2024. The workshop introduced the ʻHopeBox,ʼ a collection of pictorial booklets covering essential SRH issues; jigsaw puzzles on family planning and physical changes that take place during adolescence; and postcards on menstruation, stopping child marriage, and anti-bullying. All the contents were contextually and age-specifically designed for adolescents in orphanages.
Under the study titled “HopeBox: A Contribution for the Orphan Adolescent Girls to Claim their Choices to Improve SRHR Knowledge and Practices”, the workshop featured five engaging sessions for the orphan adolescent girls aged 10-19 and their caregivers on each of these topics including Puberty, Hormonal Changes – Menstruation, Physical Changes, and Reproductive Health & Pregnancy. The workshop focused on the unique challenges faced by the orphan girls, emphasising the importance of claiming their rights. During one session one adolescent echoed, “If we had got these booklets earlier, our adolescent experiences would have been even better.’’
The workshop was graced by Jharna Zahin, deputy superintendent of the orphanage as the guest of honor. As part of the initiative, menstrual calendars and eight sets of HopeBox were distributed among the study participants. Fariya Rahman, Principal Investigator of the study and Research Investigator, icddr,b, handed over the materials to the deputy superintendent. The guest of honor stated, “This workshop is a much-needed step toward empowering our adolescent girls with appropriate SRHR knowledge.”The event concluded with closing remarks by Anisuddin Ahmed, Project Coordinator of AdSEARCH by icddr,b
