HYDERABAD: While Osmania University stands as a hub of higher education in the heart of Hyderabad, a different kind of lesson unfolds nearby under the shade of trees. Away from lecture halls and textbooks, a group of women and girls gather to discuss something that classrooms and families have long ignored: menstrual hygiene. Even as the city’s skyline grows, deeply rooted taboos persist. Many women continue to rely on unhygienic cloth during menstruation — not by choice, but because silence around the subject leaves them with few alternatives. But on the fringes of the campus, that silence is slowly beginning to break.
Recently, women and young girls assembled near OU as volunteers from Voice for Welfare distributed sanitary pads and spoke about hygiene, health and dignity — subjects that have rarely been addressed in many such communities. The effort is part of a growing grassroots initiative led by 21-year-old Jadhav Sandeep, whose journey into social work began not in the city but in the tribal hamlets of Adilabad.
“In September 2025, we conducted sessions for women on menstrual health, hygiene and child marriage. Later, in January, we held sessions specifically for men, addressing issues like domestic violence, addiction and early marriage,” Pooja, a volunteer who joined the initiative in November 2023, says.
For many young girls, these sessions are the first time such topics are discussed openly.
Kriti (name changed), a student living near OU, says, “We have always used cloth because I thought that was the only option we had. Now I am learning about other products and hygiene. This time we received sanitary pads through Sandeep bhaiya, but I don’t know if we will be able to afford them regularly.”
Another student, Ayesha (name changed), adds, “We didn’t know much about periods or hygiene earlier. We simply followed what others in the family did. After this session, I understood how to take better care of myself.”
Sandeep’s work traces back to the Covid-19 period, when school closures exposed deeper social gaps. “I started working in social activism when I was 15 during the pandemic. I saw many children in my locality, especially first-generation learners, not attending school. Parents were reluctant to send their children, particularly girls, for higher education,” he tells TNIE.
The period also saw a rise in child marriages. “Girls as young as 16 or 17 were getting married, and many families saw nothing wrong with it because it had become normalised. That is when I began visiting villages and speaking with parents about education and the consequences of early marriage.”
What began as individual outreach gradually evolved into a structured initiative. “Over time, I realised individual efforts were not enough. Together, we launched a movement called ‘Voice for Welfare’ on June 21, 2023, focusing on women and child empowerment,” Sandeep says.
Since then, the group has expanded its work from addressing child marriages in rural Telangana to conducting awareness sessions in urban settlements. “So far, we have covered around 50 schools, 12 colleges and more than 100 tribal hamlets. We have helped enrol over 270 children back into school,” Sandeep says.
Pooja recalls how the group’s work in villages such as Venkamaguda and Natsapaguda exposed recurring barriers to education. “Many children could not enrol in government schools because of lack of access and awareness,” she says. “In some areas, the nearest school was about 3 km away. Since most children were studying in classes 1 to 3, they could not travel that distance.”
The team coordinated with locals to arrange transport, collected student details and helped facilitate enrolment. School bags and books were also provided.
Their approach, Pooja explains, relies on sustained engagement. “Before intervening, we try to understand the community’s mindset. Venkamaguda has become a milestone project for Voice for Welfare because we are beginning to see gradual changes in attitudes.”
Funded by passion
Despite reaching over 20,000 people, the organisation continues to function without formal registration or stable funding. “As of now, the organisation is in the process of registration. We do not accept direct financial donations yet. Despite these limitations, we have reached around 20,000 people over the past three years,” Sandeep says. “Most activities are funded through honorariums I receive from college talks and small contributions from friends.”
For volunteers like Pooja, the work continues despite financial uncertainty. “Funding is not consistent, so we manage with whatever resources we have. Some of us contribute personally. I work as a part-time tuition teacher and set aside a portion of my income for the organisation,” she says.
Back in the settlement near OU, as the session ends, the conversations linger. For some, it offers information. For others, reassurance. And for many, it marks the beginning of questioning practices that once seemed unquestionable.