“Generation. Education. Period: Securing the future for girls in Cambodia.” – Richelle Sunarko 

Richelle, being one of the key founders of the global concern: GEP, which aims to ensure that girls aren’t ashamed of their periods aims to provide girls in Cambodia with the means necessary to tackle a commonly known “Taboo” topic.  Living in a privileged environment and having been brought up in a privileged family with the access to privileged opportunities means that it is often all too easy to take for granted the little things in life. Which also means that being a girl and dealing with the monthly period is made seemingly easy, due to having unlimited access to sanitary products. She described the word period numerous times as being “Taboo”, and I can definitely see where she is coming from. I feel as though during the time of Middle School, boys and girls especially use the word in more of a joking manner and even though we go to a school that aims to educate us on all aspects of our health and well-being – it still remains an uncomfortable topic amongst students up until high school. From then on, the word period is used in a more open manner – as it becomes more of a ‘norm’. After learning that Richelle and her friend, Brooke set up the GC during grade 7, I felt greatly inspired by her confidence and perseverance to look past being made fun of and not being taken seriously by her peers. However, she stated that she was able to overcome this situation by learning from setbacks in order to stand for what she believes in.

“I know my mum loved me, she told me after she died.” – Josie Raza 

At the age of 5, Josie’s mum passed away from breast cancer. At the age of 13, Josie was given a series of journals and blog posts her mum had written from the start of her diagnosis. Listening to her tell her story about her mom passing really triggered a sense of emotion in me, as I had also experienced my m0ms passing 3 years ago after she lost her fight to cervical cancer. Having been in a similar situation, it was really helpful for me to compare many of the experiences I had during the time to hers. What I came to discover was that despite what had happened, I still had so much to be thankful for. She stated that she had no real memories of her mother and had only heard stories of what she was like. Whereas, me being able to know my mother for 12 years meant that I could remember what she looked like, her personality or recall specific moments with her. I was quite surprised that many of the things she struggled with were very similar to what I have felt or thought in the past. When it comes to friends mentioning their mums, or my dad not having enough time due to work commitments, are the times when it hits the hardest. And in some respects, her longing to have a conversation with her mother allows me to greatly empathize. It was really helpful for me having heard the advice she would give to someone in a similar situation: that being having a good support system and finding ways to come to terms with it. Although I cannot fully say that I have come to terms with what has happened, Josie having the confidence to open up about her story has allowed me to somewhat come to terms with mine. If there was one thing I took away from the talk, it was knowing that there’s always someone who has gone through a similar situation, and often times it means that you’re never alone: even if you think you are.