"She is a spirited, nine-year-old girl who braves the world – whether in her efforts to go to school or in fighting the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in her village. Who is she? She is Meena!" 

When she is not allowed to attend school, her parrot Mithu memorizes the lessons for her and teaches them to her after class. When this helps her discover that someone is cheating her family out of their chickens, Meena's father sees how her education can benefit the family and he allows her to go to school. Another story follows Meena as she tries to have an equal amount of food as her Raju, who gets more simply because he is a boy. Other tales tell of dealing with disease, maintaining proper hygiene, and the benefits of learning to read.

The Meena figure has achieved remarkable popularity as she tackles the key issues affecting children, and the threats to the rights of millions of girls in South Asia. Her popularity is due to her not being closely bound to just one country or culture of South Asia, but uniting the common characteristics of them all. Her creation is partly due to the UNICEF, an organization that supports the growing educational awareness of South Asia through Meena and her stories.