News 2019

New Year - New Projects - 19/12/2019

The topic: A girl's school in Bangladesh

Drum rolls and fanfares, pay attention and listen up:

Our new project is ready!

In 2020 ASCEND will enter a new year, a new phase, a new task. Our good intentions for the new year? To help a girls' school in Bangladesh. 600 girls are learning for their future there every day. 400 of them even live there. But there is a lack of washrooms, menstrual education and water supply.

We want to profit from the last two years and apply successful projects to the future. Therefore, we would like to help the school to optimize its water system, to extend guard rooms and to teach the girls about menstrual hygiene.

You find that exciting? Then stop by here from time to time, because this is where we will tell you over the next few weeks how we are going to put our plans into concrete terms!

News - 05/12/2019

New upcoming projects

After the successful completion of our five first projects within our programmes Water4Dacope and Menstrual Hygiene Initative we are currently developing new projects. Whether Bangladesh, India, Ecuador, or even Germany, water management, menstruation awareness, waste management or education - ASCEND is working on new innovative projects!

Stay tuned! We will keep you posted.

Update Menstrual Hygiene Initiative - 15/10/2019

The Menstrual Hygiene Initiative came to an end!

Drumroll, excitement, champagne glasses clinking: The MHI project was successfully completed at the end of September 2019!

We would like to thank all of you, donors and volunteers, for your support in the implementation of this project!

Here is a small overview of what we have achieved:

Which sanitary napkins we halped to make:

Since the start of the project in April this year, a production facility has been set up with the appropriate equipment for the production of the bandages, a team of seamstresses had been trained, the sanitary napkins designed, tested, and improved again and again, until they finally decided on two variants, the so-called "Deshi-Pads".

Who we told about menstrual hygiene:

Our partner organisation RUPSA conducted ten educational workshops in various villages. Another 14 workshops took place at twelve different schools and two colleges. In addition, the women and girls of the region were taught basic knowledge about menstrual hygiene in more than 160 "yard sessions". Almost 9,000 women and girls took part in these workshops alone!

How we want to draw more attention to the problem:

The annual "World-Menstrual-Day" was also co-organised by us. Workshops and rallies were held there. Even seven local daily newspapers reported on the support provided within our MHI project.

Why the whole thing is necessary:

In the course of the project, three health camps were set up in various villages, as planned. Here, a gynaecologist examined and treated a total of 343 patients who had health problems due to a lack of menstrual hygiene.

What we draw from it:

Despite the greatest possible efforts and planning on our part, not all problems could be solved within the duration of the project, of course. Therefore, RUPSA would like to continue to support and supervise the project through various measures even after its completion. This is absolutely in our interest and we are delighted that the project went so well that it is now being continued by the people themselves!

A final report will be online within a few weeks.

Want to know more about the whole project? Here you can find more information!

Update Menstrual Hygiene Initiative - 03/08/2019

A small interim result

Exactly one year ago, exactly here, we announced that our Menstrual Hygiene Initiative is entering its second round. And today, to the day one year later, we want to report a short interim result:

Since the start of the project in April this year, a team of dressmakers was trained, they were given the room and machines they needed for the production of the sanitary napkins, napkins have been designed, tested and redesigned until the final product, approved by its future users, was clear: the DeshiPads.

The World Menstruation Day was co-organised and several workshops have been held, both officially and and low-threshold in the backyard of our educational team. Women were taught the importance of menstrual hygiene, and how normal female biology is despite the traditional perception of women there.

Our newest achievement: a health camp where doctors can treat women who suffer from illnesses due to a lack of menstrual hygiene. A survey, conducted by ASCEND, showed that 12% of women living in Dacope suffer from consequences of missing menstrual hygiene. Now, with the help of RUPSA, we could establish our first health camp at the Kakrabuniya elementary school.

We are freaking proud! We hope you, too.

Sanitary Napkins Manufacturing – DESHI Pad – May 2019

The sanitary napkins have got a name 😊

In order to minimise the impact on the environment and at the same time to reduce the costs to the rural people as much as possible, they are manufactured using textile leftovers from the bangladeshian textile industry.

Until now 3 concepts were designed and given to probands for testing. The acceotance of the test-napkins was very high and on the basis of several suggestions the comfort of the sanitary napkins could be improved. RUPSA is working on the new designs.

World Menstrual Hygiene Day - 28/05/2019

RUPSA organises World Menstrual Hygiene Day in Bangladesch

In 2014 the Menstrual Hygiene Day was initiated by the Organisation WASH United to make people aware of the importance of menstrual higiene.

Dacope Upazilla Administration organised together with our partner organisation RUPSA this day in may 2019. More than 200 people from government, different NGOs and CSOs took part in it.

After a parade through the streets of Upazilla an open discussion was held about the topic with 90 participants. The Marti Mongal Secondary High School organized a colorful cycle rally among the students on
the occasion.

Update MHI - May 2019 - Bangladesh

Leadership Training, Awareness Raising & Court Yard Sessions

Die Aufklärungsarbeit von bangladeschischen Frauen für bangladeschische Frauen geht voran.

16 group-leaders participated in a daylong training on leadership and can now motivate and mobilize the members of the women groups about MHM and ensure the access of DESHI Pad to them.

191 beneficiaries took part in an awareness rising session on 25 May 2019. The girls and women were informed about menstrual hygiene management and safe and healthy reusable menstrual hygiene product usage. Two additional training sessions were conducted in the meantime to sensibilise the women of the topic.

Own Contribution fulfilled - 15/03/2019

Thanks to your help MHI starts in the 2nd. round :)

Dear supporters,

with your donations we were able to fulfill the required own contribution of 1,560 Euros in short time :) Thank You for that!!

The donations that are not listed at Betterplace.org were transferred directly on our bank account or came in on regular basis. Together you enabled us to start the project on 1 April in Bangladesh. You are the best! :)

The ALTERNAID Foundation for People in Misery is sponsors us with 13,500 Euros. That is motivating us even more.

The ALTERNAID Foundation realises your goals throgh financial and material support of projects inland and abroad, that have the goal to enable people in misery to live a live in dignity and with perspective. Further information at https://www.alternaid.de/

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