From having no clue about the menstrual cycle to setting up a ‘sanitary pad depot’ for other women and girls, Kalpana Verma has set an example in her village about normalising period talk and related issues. The resident of Mirtala village in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh tells us about her journey, in her own words:
I clearly remember I was in 10th standard and had my board examination the next day. But late at night, I felt a sharp and stabbing pain in my stomach. After a while, I had blood coming out. I was petrified and completely confused. Being the eldest daughter in the family, I had no knowledge about the menstrual period. I knew nothing about what to do in situations like this. Unable to fathom what to do, I hesitatingly ran to my mother. She handed me old cloth and tried her best to explain what I should be doing. But the bleeding did not stop and I kept crying through the night. The next day, I did badly in my exam. The bleeding continued for the next five days and I remained in a confused state. I did not ask my mother either about the bleeding or the cramps that I suffered (Photo by Kalpana Verma)