Engaging with students of Government School on 'My Body Is Changing'

“Are there any changes in our body, that could be harmful or bad or something that is not right?”

Sahas has been in long term collaboration with Government school and implementing ‘Gender, sexuality and reproductive health curriculum’ on the adolescent students for more than 3 years now. Due to pandemic, schools were closed and since the students in Government School comes from low socio-economic backgrounds, it took a while to reconnect them to education system through online teaching. So, we were thrilled when we were invited to begin this year’s gender program with Class 8^th students. Interestingly, our first session was the first time they ever used Zoom platform for learning.

Our gender, sexuality and reproductive health program kick started with the first session on ‘My Body Is Changing’. We invited the participants to introduce themselves by sharing their names and one thing they enjoyed doing at home due to quarantine. With shy grins, smile on their faces and excitement they introduced themselves with ease. The activity inquired on how did they know that they are boy or girl?

‘When I was small, I didn’t know; but when I grew up my father told me that I am a boy’

‘I was very naughty, used to do lot of pranks and cry! Now I have grown up into a boy’

‘It was because of my name – I knew that I am a boy. Girls and boys have different names’

This was followed by the activity of ‘body map’ where they were asked to draw their body, organs, naming them and answer few questions related to growing up physically. This activity is comprehensive, elaborative and tricky! Even when we do it in the classrooms, we have to be on toes, while online we don’t really know how effectively it is until the activity is completed. Seeing the participants so focused, I was excited to see their body maps. Shyly they shared their body maps in the large group and engaged in the discussion on the questions of good, bad and challenging aspects of physical changes as part of adolescence.

Through presentation and play cards, we talked about what is adolescence, puberty, what are the changes that happen during adolescence especially the physical changes, how important is to understand them followed by understanding sexual organs as part of male and female reproductive system. The curiosity on their faces showed that this discussion, presentation has gauged their attention and this is something that is relevant to them, they have questions around these things and it is interesting to learn about one’s body. At this point, it was also crucial to assure them that whatever changes they are going through is part of growing up, it is normal and though it might vary for each person- you should not feel embarrassed or ashamed to ask questions around it.

“So, while we grow can body get some disease because of it, sometimes few things happen that makes me embarrassed?”     

“I really enjoyed the workshop, nobody ever talks about all this”

“Liked the workshop, when do we have next one?”