ZOON: Empowering youth in Kashmir to break taboos on mental health and menstruation

Pulwama (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 26 (ANI): Andleb-i-Firdous, also known as ‘ZOON’, is a non-profit youth organisation, whose seeds were sown by Seher Mir in October 2021.

Seher Mir, an 18-year-old from Pampore in Pulwama, started a campaign creating awareness about two taboo subjects, mental health and menstruation. Her resolve had a domino effect and what started out as the brainchild of a single individual grew into a team of 50 like-minded teenagers.

Currently, Seher and her team carry out awareness drives in government schools and among women in rural areas. The organization works at creating awareness about menstruation and mental health by uplifting important landmarks and their people. The organisation’s main aim is to teach the values of women’s health, menstrual hygiene management and sanitation among rural girls and women.

“The majority of rural women of Kashmir still use filthy cloth pieces as absorbent during periods for many reasons. One of the main reasons behind not using any sanitary products during periods is shyness. They feel ashamed of buying sanitary napkins. We started from the birthplace of an important Kashmiri personality, Habba Khatun. In her birthplace, Chandhara, we lead many menstrual health drives to provide accessible menstrual products while educating young girls on menstrual health and hygiene,” Seher said.

Over time, Andleb-i-Firdous, commonly referred to as ZOON, has broadened its objectives and presently addresses not only mental health and menstruation but also issues like climate change, economic stability and the power of technology in its awareness drives. The drives are characterized by the distribution of sanitary pads at the end. ZOON also addresses a range of mental disorders, menstrual hygiene issues and sexual abuse through its Instagram handle @andleb_i_firdous.

The volunteers have managed to conduct drives in remote areas such as Pattan Baramulla, Mirgund Baramulla, Chandhara Pampore, Shar Shali Pampore, Laltrag Pampore, Zantrag Pulwama, Haal Pulwama, Aripal Tral and many other backward villages of Kashmir passing their share of knowledge to over 1000+ students and distributing more than 10,000 free sanitary napkins amongst them. They have received appreciation from the authorities for their work and are speedily gaining recognition.

In Kashmir, there are very few organizations which are led by students. It’s mainly because of the societal pressure of not going in these directions and just focusing on studies. By creating this organization, ZOON is able to reach out to people and has started to do what they were aspiring to do for a very long time. The best part about it was the response they received from the students, which made the team even more motivated.

According to a study, 88 per cent of menstruating women in India use homemade alternatives like old fabric, whereas 63 million adolescent girls live without toilet facilities. Ignorance, poverty and neglect are the main reasons for inadequate menstrual hygiene. Even in modern times, conversations about topics such as mental and menstrual health are often avoided. More so, in rural areas where even the early waves of modernization are yet to arrive, this has given rise to disastrous, albeit expected, consequences. The unaware masses have strongly stigmatised issues that need to be addressed on a priority basis.

ZOON is planning to take professionals such as psychologists and doctors on board so that not only are the people informed about issues but also diagnosed and cured. While implying that healthy family relations are prime for good mental health of children. ZOON has also decided to hold counseling sessions with parents so that they understand the need to open up and discuss physical and mental health with children.

ZOON in today’s times is emerging as a one-of-a-kind organisation in Kashmir because it is rare in the valley to have a platform created by an 18-year-old girl and run by like-minded children across different schools and areas of the valley.