Koraput: In a push towards girls’ health and empowerment, Sameera Khan, a mountaineer and endurance cyclist, conducted an awareness program for girl students in Rayagada town on Monday, highlighting key health issues with special emphasis on HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer.Addressing the students, Sameera stressed the importance of awareness and early prevention. “Awareness is the first step towards prevention. Many young girls are unaware of cervical cancer and the availability of vaccines that can save lives. Through my journey, I want to make this knowledge accessible, especially in rural areas,” she said.A resident of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, Sameera has been traveling across Odisha since March 3 as part of her nationwide solo cycling campaign aimed at empowering rural girls. Her outreach blends discussions on health, mental resilience and personal safety with conversations around social challenges such as discrimination, abuse and patriarchal barriers.An accomplished adventurer, she has summited 11 peaks across the Himalayas and parts of Europe, and cycled across 37 countries. Since launching her self-imposed campaign in March 2025, she has covered over 7,000 km, reaching more than 1,000 schools across 11 states.During her Odisha visit, she met chief secretary Anu Garg and women & child development secretary Mrinalini Darswal, who encouraged her to incorporate HPV vaccination awareness into her campaign. Acting on this, Sameera has been actively sensitizing schoolgirls on cervical cancer prevention, emphasizing timely vaccination and the need to break taboos surrounding women’s health.Prior to reaching Rayagada, she covered several districts across the state, taking her message to both rural and urban schools. Her sessions combine motivational accounts from her mountaineering and cycling journeys with practical guidance, helping build confidence and informed decision-making among young girls.“It gives me immense satisfaction interacting with tribal students in Rayagada and sensitizing them about various health issues and women’s empowerment. My last stoppage in the state is in Malkangiri,” she said.An entrepreneur in adventure activities by profession, Sameera said the idea for the journey took shape after observing how girls in many foreign countries enjoy greater empowerment compared to those in India, motivating her to work at the grassroots level.
