THE PROBLEM
In rural areas, most girls rely on home-made sanitary solutions such as filling up old socks with sand and tying them around the waist to absorb menstrual blood or taking old pieces of cloth and using them to absorb the menstrual blood. These pieces of cloth are washed and dried inside the house without exposure to sunlight due to stigma attached to menstruation. These processes are unhygienic and unsanitary, increasing chances of infection and hindering their day to day activities. According to a 2015 report by Dasra, Mumbai, girls tend to miss school 6 days a month on an average due to their inability to manage their periods at school. This eventually contributes to almost 23% of girls dropping out of school on reaching puberty which critically undermines their potential as individuals and future workers.
THE SOLUTION
The Balamitra Foundation, an NGO based in Hyderabad aims to provide menstrual hygiene kits in Billalavalasa. It is a village in Merakamudidam Mandal, Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh. The population consists mostly of agricultural labourers and daily wage workers. It houses the Zilla Parishad High School in which 42% are girls. By providing menstrual hygiene kits to the menstruating girls here, Balamitra is enhancing their schoolgoing experience as they don’t have to miss school for a few days every month. In addition, Balamitra conducts an engagement session with the schoolgirls and their mothers about the importance of maintaining menstrual hygiene
- Pads will be distributed for 3 months at a time.
- The first set will be distributed along with other kit materials.
- Pads are made by the organisation Sampoorna (in Vizag). It is manufactured by physically challenged girls (polio afflicted), and are made from environmentally friendly materials.
- Each pad will be wrapped in newspaper for disposal.
- Cloth bags will be distributed with the first set of pads and other kit items. These are made by Pallaguttapalle Ladies, a self-help group
JUST INR 2500 WILL IMPACT 2 GIRLS FOR ONE YEAR. EACH MENSTRUAL HYGIENE KIT COSTS INR 1250 (INCL DISTRIBUTION COSTS).
ABOUT ME & THIS CAMPAIGN
My name is NISHITA MARRI. I am 15 years old and in Grade 11 at Oakridge International School.
I am doing this campaign to help raise awareness and to provide hygiene kits to girls who study in the govt school in Billalavalasa village, Andhra Pradesh. 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 hoard of health issues.
The cost of this hygiene kit (including distributing it) is just INR 1250 and will last each girl for one year. The hygiene kit consists of biodegradable sanitary pads (a year's supply), undergarments, detergent, newspapers and other hygiene products. These kits are distributed by the NGO - Balamitra Foundation.
I request all of you to support my campaign so that we can also contribute to the well-being of these girls in our own small way.
COMPONENTS OF THE KIT
THE TEAM IN ACTION
ABOUT US
Balamitra Foundation is an effort to bring about empathy and empowerment in the young generations of India living contrasting lives. The attempt is to inculcate empathy in the children that are blessed with resources and lead them on a path that empowers the ones who are not. Our mission is to empower underprivileged sections of the society, with children leading the way through fundraising and volunteering activities. We also seek the support of individual and institutional donors who would like to help our young volunteers in their effort to help their peers in village schools.
Our beneficiaries include more than 700 children studying in 10 government schools in the villages of Billalavalasa, Ippalavalasa, Bhagiradhipuram, Kondalaveru, Korlam, Badam, Kunchigumadam and Siriyalapeta. We support these schools by providing sports equipment, reading and art material, scholarships and menstrual hygiene kits for high school girls.
TAX BENEFITS
Funding for this campaign is eligible for tax breaks as BALAMITRA FOUNDATION is a registered NGO & you can avail of benefits under section 80G of IT act.
FAQs
Will we get to know the details of who benefitted?
Yes. After the money has been collected it will be transferred by Fueladream to BALAMITRA FOUNDATION. We will update you on the details of the beneficiaries as soon as possible. Once we get this information we shall upload a report on the UPDATES section of this campaign. You will then get an alert & can read details about the beneficiaries.
When do I get the receipts?
The receipts will start getting processed about 4 to 6 weeks AFTER the campaign is closed and will be sent to you directly.
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.
