Women and girls from low-income backgrounds have been facing a massive menstrual hygiene crisis due to the pandemic. The only source of sanitary napkins for most school-going girls was from government schemes that supply them through government schools, which remain closed amidst the lockdown. Similarly, minimum wage daily labourers women/migrants workers and those from poor homes are unable to afford sanitary napkins as they suddenly have no or very less income. This leads to them using unhygienic methods like paper, rags, etc. This leads to UTIs and other health problems.
Our aim is to provide immediate relief for menstrual health issues faced by women living in the slums of Delhi-NCR, in collaboration with the Samarpan Foundation, through the distribution of ‘Menstrual Kits’. They are also educated about the best menstrual hygiene practices. Each kit is unique as they will contain 4 reusable sanitary napkins and 2 panties that will last 2 years. These will be environmentally friendly and will take up less space.
DISPOSABLE SANITARY NAPKINS VS REUSABLE NAPKINS
ABOUT ME
My name is Shaunak Nath. I am 17 years old, studying in SNS, Noida. The six of us began this journey as a part of our school project, we named the initiative ENKINDLE. Our initial goal was to help the people of Koilsa (a remote-agricultural village near Basti, UP- 1300kms from Delhi) that we visited. However, due to logistical restrictions and barriers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to redirect our efforts, to help those we currently can, with a more feasible, achievable and sustainable solution to combat an equally pressing issue- menstrual hygiene.
COVID-19 has impacted millions of people. The worst-hit are the poor, migrants, and daily wage workers. There has been a surge in cases & the situation will only get worse before it gets better. For girls and women from financially weak backgrounds, the issue is compounded by the inaccessibility of menstrual hygiene measures.
What we take for granted - sanitary pads and panties is a luxury for them. The solution is to give them a menstrual hygiene pack that is cost-effective and lasts long and is not too bulky.
The Hygiene pack being given has reusable sanitary pads. It creates no trash and is cost-effective. Disposable sanitary pads have to be bought repeatedly, cost INR 50-100 per month, and create massive disposal problems. The cost of this hygiene kit (including distributing it) is just INR 300. I request all of you to support my campaign so that we can also contribute to their well-being in our own small little way. Let's come together and do our bit.
COMPONENTS OF THE HYGIENE KIT
THE TEAM IN ACTION
IN THE NEWS
ABOUT THE NGO PARTNER
SAMARPAN FOUNDATION
Samarpan Foundation is a charitable not-for-profit entity, established in September 2006 in New Delhi. They work to provide global support and assistance of any kind where there is humanitarian, ecological environmental and animal welfare need. They are a community of outward-focused volunteers, guided by the principle of doing what needs to be done to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number.
MAP OF WHERE WE WILL BE IMPACTING GIRLS/WOMEN
TAX BENEFITS
Funding for this campaign is eligible for tax breaks as THE SAMARPAN FOUNDATION is a registered NGO & you can avail of benefits under section 80G of IT act. Foreign funding is accepted too.
FAQs
Will we get to know the details of how the money was spent?
Yes. After the money has been collected it will be transferred by Fueladream to THE SAMARPAN FOUNDATION. It will take from 2 to 3 months after that to get details of fund use. Once we get this information from them, we shall upload this to the UPDATES section of this campaign. You will then get an alert & can read details about the impact we have made and how the monies have been spent.
When do I get the receipts?
It takes up to 2 weeks after the campaign is closed for the monies to be transferred to NGO. The receipts will start getting processed about 4 to 6 weeks AFTER the campaign is closed and will be sent to you directly. The receipts will be sent by tTHE SAMARPAN FOUNDATION.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept & is growing very quickly.
It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such pooling of funds. You can fund innovations & ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding. When you fund a charity it’s more like a donation & you get small innovative rewards like a shout-out on an FB page or a thank you email from the beneficiaries.
