STAY AT SCHOOL - AN INITIATIVE BY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INDIA

As per a survey conducted by USAID, Kiawah Trust, and DASRA, girls are typically absent for 20% of the school year due to menstruation. More than 88% of women use homegrown alternatives like rags, old fabric, etc 70% increase in reproductive tract infections owing to poor menstrual hygiene The project aims to sensitize students, school authorities and local government on sanitation, MHM and mobilize social action.

In India, only 12% of 355 million (35,50,00,000) women of menstruating age can afford disposable sanitary napkins. But conservatively, these 42.6million women will throw 21.3 billion sanitary napkins to landfill in their lives (Source: Hindu new paper-2018)

There is a lot of misinformation prevalent in our society with respect to menstruation. MHM (Menstrual Hygiene Management) is an essential health topic which is rarely spoken about or discussed both at schools or homes. 70% of girls miss school each month during menstruation this missing out on important lesson taught. As many as 25% of girls drop out of school after attaining puberty due to the stigma and misconceptions associated with menstruation. Some of the girls are banished from their homes and forced to live in a secluded menstrual hut during their monthly menstrual period, causing loss of confidence and dignity in them and sometimes leading to fatal consequence.

Habitat for Humanity India aims to provide sanitary pads & hygiene products to girls from poor homes under their project Stay at School. 

The cost of supplying a year's supply of low-cost Sanitary Napkins, Handwash, Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Comb, Undergarments, Carry Bag & Nail Cutter, etc to one girl is just INR 1100. The kit is shown below.

The pic above shows a kit that contains 120 sanitary pads, 2 sets of undergarments, 2 sets of handwash, 3 sets of toothpaste, 2 sets of a toothbrush, 1 comb, 2 sets of tissues, a nail cutter, and a bag. Girls will also be taught about hygiene and best practices. 

Read on to discover how I am doing this campaign in partnership with Habitat for Humanity India. My aim is to raise INR 16500 or more to provide the sanitary napkins & hygiene products to 15 girls studying at schools from poor homes and to underprivileged young girls at govt schools in Maharashtra. 

HELP ME RAISE INR 16500 TO PROVIDE A YEARS SUPPLY OF SANITARY NAPKINS, UNDERGARMENTS ETC TO 15 GIRLS.

CASE STUDY

 PICTURE - STUDENTS BEING GIVEN PADS

ABOUT ME & THIS CAMPAIGN:

My name is Anoushka Mahanty. I am in Grade 10 student at the Podar International School, Thane.

I am doing this campaign to help raise awareness and funds to provide hygiene kits to girls from poor homes who study in govt schools across Maharashtra. The hygiene kit consists of sanitary pads (a years supply), undergarments, tissues, and other hygiene products. These kits are distributed by the NGO - Habitat for Humanity, India.

Most of these girls do not have access to even a sanitary pad and are unaware of how they should manage menstrual hygiene. This leads to a loss of confidence, dignity, and poor attendance at schools. Many of the girls do not have access to even an undergarment. Shocking but true.

The cost of this hygiene kit (including distributing it) is just INR 1100.

Help me support 15 or more girls by raising INR 16500 or more. Together we can help transform their lives. If I raise more I can help change the lives of more girls. Not having sanitary pads or undergarments should not be a reason for girls to drop out of school.

Our efforts will help more girls in schools across Maharashtra, "Stay at school".

COST SHEET

MAP SHOWING LOCATION WHERE WILL THE FUNDS BE USED & PARTNER LOCATION.

ABOUT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INDIA

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort. The housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 70 countries. In India since 1983, Habitat for Humanity has supported more than 30 million people to build or improve a place they can call home. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower.

HOW WILL THE MONEY BE USED?

For this campaign, we have partnered with an NGO who will execute this project. It’s known as Habitat for Humanity and is headquartered in Mumbai. The monies collected will be given to them once the campaign ends. Since they are an NGO, any donation will be eligible for an 80G tax receipt. The money would be utilized to purchase and provide the girls with the sanitary napkins & hygiene products.

Every donation counts, let’s all do this not for us, but for them. For those girls who need it and for our nation which we wish to see flourish because they are the future of India. 

TAX BENEFITS

All funding for this campaign has tax benefits. Receipts will be issued by Habitat for Humanity India which is a registered NGO. Indian citizens can avail of 80G tax benefits. Foreign funding is accepted too.

SCHOOLS WHERE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INDIA PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE KITS 

FEEDBACK THAT YOU GET

To ensure that there is complete transparency I shall get a report from NGO (this takes between 2 to 4 months usually after the funds are raised & transferred to them) telling me who benefited from the funding. The details will then be posted on the UPDATES section of my campaign. As soon as I post an update, the platform will send an SMS and EMAIL alert to all the funders - i.e. to you. Click on the link on the email and you can read about who benefited. That's transparent right.

The below image is an example of the FEEDBACK FORMAT that will be shared.