Sapna: A Project Lajja Story
Gadchiroli is 73% covered in dense forests, effectively serving as the "lungs" of Maharashtra and allowing the entire state to breathe. Yet for many young women born here, the social freedom to truly "breathe" has long been missing. Bound by ignorance, silence and stigma, their biological realities are treated as subjects of taboo and punished with isolation. This is the story of one such young woman, and how Making The Difference NGO, through its on-ground efforts, is helping dispel the deep-seated ignorance and empowering those affected.
At 17, a young woman, Sapna, recalls a time when her life was shaped by hesitation and silence. Each month, she would miss school, burdened by shame and a lack of understanding about menstrual hygiene. With no access to proper resources or guidance, she felt compelled to hide herself. “I thought it was something I wasn’t supposed to talk about,” she shares. “It made me feel isolated, like I didn’t fully belong.”
Her journey began to shift when she became a part of Naari Shakti Niketan. Through the programme’s awareness sessions, she was introduced to essential knowledge about her body, hygiene, and self-care topics that had once been treated as taboo. Gradually, her fear was transformed into confidence and for the first time, she began attending school regularly without interruption, and with a renewed sense of self-worth.
Today, her transformation extends beyond her own life. She openly shares what she has learned with her friends and peers, encouraging conversations that were once avoided. “Now I tell others that there is nothing to be ashamed of,” she says. “If we talk about it, we can help each other.”
Sapna
Project Lajja
