The Pre-Med Diaries
Redefining Red -Session 1
On November 10, 2024, Pre-Med Diaries launched its first event, Redefining Red, at the Dispute Palace orphanage. The event aimed to educate young girls about menstruation, focusing on its biological aspects, menstrual positivity, and hygiene. To ensure the participants felt comfortable and engaged, the session was conducted in Hindi, Marathi, and English and ensure better understanding and avoid overwhelming the participants, the event was divided into two sessions.
To begin with, the session kicked off with an icebreaker activity called Pass the Teddy which was carried out by Sejal the social media manager and Nayoon Kim a volunteer at the event. During this activity, a teddy was passed around, and each participant introduced themselves while sharing two things they liked. This helped establish a friendly and open atmosphere. Following this, Ananya, the founder of Pre-Med Diaries, introduced key concepts such as adolescence, puberty, and teenage development. She carefully explained these terms, pausing to re-explain when necessary and asking questions to ensure that everyone understood.
Next, Ananya elaborated on the physical and emotional changes that girls experience during puberty. After this, Jimit briefly discussed the changes in boys during puberty, offering a comparison to deepen the girls’ understanding. Subsequently, Sejal led a discussion on good touch and bad touch, emphasising the importance of personal boundaries and safety. This was crucial for the girls to understand personal space as they navigate the changes in their bodies.
To keep the atmosphere interactive, the team then conducted a recreational activity. In this activity, the girls were given red crayons and asked to illustrate what the color “red” meant to them. This exercise aimed to break the stigma surrounding menstruation and promote a positive association with the color red. Following the activity, Ariha explained the importance of personal hygiene, offering practical tips for maintaining cleanliness during adolescence and puberty.
As the session came to a close, Ishika and Alisha, volunteers from the team, facilitated a Q&A session to address any remaining doubts. This allowed the girls to ask questions and clarify any misunderstandings, ensuring they left the session feeling confident and informed. Additionally, Ananya briefly introduced the concept of menstruation, sparking curiosity for the next session. Furthermore, Saanjhi, the graphic designer at Pre-Med Diaries, was responsible for documenting the event through photographs, capturing the key moments of Session One.
Introduction to Adolescence, Puberty and Teenage Years.
This picture captures the founder engaging with the children, introducing the sessions aim’s and setting the stage for discussions on adolescence, puberty, and teenage years to start of the event.
Truly Redefining Red!
This is a recreational activity, children reimagine the meaning of red by drawing the first thing that comes to their mind when they see the colour. Through art, they express personal interpretations, breaking stereotypes and fostering a deeper understanding of how colours influence perception and emotions.
Encouraging Learning: A Supportive Questionnaire Recap.
As a part of the event, volunteers carried out a questionnaire to help the children recap on what they had learned. Even when they struggled to answer questions, the entire TPMD team encouraged and guided then, reinforcing the idea that its okay not to have all the answer correct, but it is important to at least try. To further promote a growth mindset, we rewarded every participant who answered or made an attempt with a toffee. This emphasised on the importance of trying rather than giving up, fostering a supportive and positive environment.