Bandipora, Sep 28: As a tribute to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, the District Administration Bandipora in collaboration with JKSWM has launched a significant project WASH (Women And Sanitary Hygiene) aimed at empowering women and fostering impeccable sanitary hygiene practices throughout the district.
The officials said the initiative is a commemoration of Gandhi Ji’s steadfast commitment to women’s empowerment and his profound respect for “Nari Shakti” (women power). They said that in a first-of-its-kind and unique initiative to promote WASH in Bandipora, the district administration and Jammu & Kashmir Students Welfare Mission (JKSWM), a non-profit organization, have embarked on a transformative journey.
The initiative, supported by the ‘We Are Human Foundation (WAHF)’, New Delhi, seeks to empower women and promote sanitation, they said.
The WASH programme was kick-started under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora, Dr. Owais Ahmed, IAS, coordinated by District Programme Officer, POSHAN, Mohammad Ashraf Hakak, and under noble supervision of District Social Welfare Officer Bandipora, Hidayatullah Mir to mark a significant impact on women’s health and hygiene.
Various sanitary kit distribution-cum-hygiene awareness camps were simultaneously conducted at prominent locations in the district, including New District Hospital Bandipora, Gynecology Department, DH Bandipora and Girls Higher Secondary School Bandipora.
It has reached out to various women self-help groups, ICDS centres in Arin, Aloosa, Bagh, Chewa, Vijpara Hajin, Kudara, Chuntimullah, Mukdamyari Hajin, Goshbugh, Sumbal and more areas of the district.
The collaboration with key stakeholders, including the district administration Bandipora, Department of Social Welfare Bandipora, ICDS Bandipora, SAKHI One Stop Centre Bandipora, and the District Hub for Empowerment of Women (DHEW), Bandipora, has been instrumental in the programme’s success. The programme was facilitated on the ground by a leading women-driven centre – SAKHI – One Stop Centre, Bandipora under the aegis of J K Students Welfare Mission.
The speakers said that Gandhi Ji recognized the power of women in shaping society. The WASH program is not just about sanitation; it is about empowering our women and recognizing their essential role in nation-building, they said.
The district administration on the occasion distributed 10,000 sanitary kits among needy women and adolescent girls. The ambitious goal of Project WASH is to distribute more WASH Kits by the end of the year, an official said.
Project Incharge WASH, Afshana Haasan, while speaking on the occasion, said, “This noble initiative was not possible without the collaborative efforts of District Administration Bandipora.”
