Menstroo

Menstroo
by Tale Weavers
in association with The Red Elephant Foundation & LEPA

To mark the Menstrual Hygiene Day on
28th May, The Red Elephant Foundation
has launched a campaign called
#NoMoreWhispers in collaboration with
LEPA and Tale Weavers to enable open and
free dialogue around menstruation, and to
stop sweeping things under the carpet.

As Tale Weavers aims to engage with
children and the youth through stories that
empower them, the story ‘Menstroo’ breaks
the silence on menstruation and the taboos
associated wiith it.

TALE

weavers

weaving tales, breaking stereotypes

Menstroo

Story: Kirthi Jayakumar Illustrations: Raghu Ramachandran

One evening,

Kabir came home
without playing
outside.
He looked
disappointed. Kaya
looked at him and
felt sorry for her
brother, so she
decided to teach
him what she had
learned in Karate
class.

“Ka-powie! Boom!

Biff! Pow pow pow!” she
screamed, punching and
kicking in the air.
But Kabir didn’t smile.
“Kabiro, what happened
to you? Why are you so
sad?” she asked.
“Kaya, my best friend
has not come to play for
three days! Veda’s mother
says she’s not quite well.
I am so worried!” said a
visibly upset Kabir.

Just then, their mother

walked in. “Veda is not
well? Let me call her
mom!” she said.

She spoke on her phone,

and before hanging up, she
said, “Oh, this is great to
hear!
Now Veda, you must eat
well and have nutritious
food. Don’t forget all the
hygiene rules!” She hung
up, smiling.

"Ma? What are you smiling

for?" asked Kabir.
"Come, Kabir and Kaya.
You must know something
important. Let's talk."

The three of them went out
into the garden.

Their mother said, “Did you know, that as you

grow up, your body changes and develops? Around
just before or soon after you become a teenager, you
go into a phase of rapid growth and changes. This is
called “Puberty”.”
“Ma, but why do these changes happen?” asked
Kaya, curiously.
“All the changes happening in your body are caused
by hormones. Hormones are chemicals that are
carried in the bloodstream which help you grow.
For boys, these changes include the “cracking”
of their voice, growth of body hair and a sudden
increase in height. For girls, these changes include
the development of breasts, and the onset of
menstruation. These things are perfectly normal and
are a part of growing up!”

“Mens... wha? Ma

come on! We learn that
in geometry!” said Kabir,
slapping his knee and
laughing.
“Oi, Kabir! That’s
Mensuration! This is
Menstruation. Don’t go
making that spelling
mistake, now!” their mother
laughed. “Menstruation,
or having your period, is a
monthly occurrence.

In a girl’s body, there is an organ called the uterus.

This is where a new baby sits until it is born,
getting ready for the world, when a woman is
pregnant.

Now, over a month, the uterus prepares for a baby.
It builds a nice little cushion with the help of a
lining of blood. But, a baby can be born when?”

“Ma, when the sperm and the egg fertilise!”
replied Kabir, feeling very proud of remembering
something ma had told him about earlier.



“Excellent. Now, when there is no fertilisation,

there is no baby, there is no need for the cushion,
right? So, during menstruation, the lining of the uterus
flows out through the vagina, or the female genitalia!”

U“ ghhhhhh!” said

Kabir.

“MAAAA!!
NOOOOO!” said Kaya.

“No, Kabir and Kaya. This

is absolutely normal. Now
think of it this way. When you
eat, doesn’t your mouth provide
saliva? When you go in the
sun, doesn’t your body produce
sweat? When you excrete,
aren’t you discarding some
thing from your body? This is
just like that! There is nothing
disgusting, and nothing wrong
in it.”

“But ma, where will they find
so much bandage each month?”
asked Kabir, visualising an
injury.

“Ah, Kabir, you sensitive soul,

that’s an important question.
We don’t use bandages, but, we
use something called sanitary
napkins, and other products,
too.”

“Whisper! Stayfree!” screamed
Kaya, remembering some names
from ads she had watched.

“Correct! Now, during this time
of the month, some girls may get
stomach pains, and some girls
may also feel tired, especially in
the initial few times, because it is
new to the body.

That is why young Veda is taking rest. But, she will be

up and running, and before long, this will not stop her at
all!”

“Ma, I also want menstroo!”
clapped Kaya.

“Oh little Kaya, you are just
going to turn nine. In just
a few years, you will start,
too!”

“And I will always be there to help you

with anything you need Kaya! And all of my
friends who are girls, too!” said Kabir.
“That’s a pair of thoughtful children!” said
ma.

The End



The Red Elephant Foundation is an
initiative that is built on the foundations
of story-telling, civilian peacebuilding and
activism for sensitisation on all drivers of
peace - gender, race, nationality, colour
and orientation. The initiative is titled “Red
Elephant” to stand out as a vehicle that
projects stories that must never be forgotten:
stories that show you such courage that you
should never forget, and stories that show the
world such profound lessons that the world
should never forget.

Leading Everyone to Participate in Africa
(LEPA) is an initiative that seeks to highlight,
catalyze and reinforce the agency of Africans
in Africa and in the Diasporas in finding
contextual and lasting solutions to issues that
affect us all. LEPA is an overarching plan-of-
action for the realization of the rights of girls,
the active participation of African youth in
all levels of civil society and the building of
stronger relationships between Africans in the
Diaspora and those on the continent.

TALE Tale Weavers is an initiative that aims to
engage with children and the youth through
weavers stories that challenge stereotypes and break
the barriers in creating a just society.
weaving tales, breaking stereotypes We welcome you to our world of stories
where simple conversations, colorful
illustrations, and powerful characters help
break the stereotypes and create an inclusive
learning space which is free of bias - be it
gender, religion, race, nationality or ethnicity.