RutuChakra– Celebrating and Embracing Womanhood
MY CAMPAIGN AIMS TO RAISE FUNDS TO SUPPLY FREE SANITARY PADS FOR A YEAR TO TWENTY GIRLS AND WOMEN FROM UNDERPRIVILEGED FAMILIES. IT COSTS JUST 1000 INR PER ANNUM PER PERSON.
LET'S HELP WOMEN & GIRLS LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE WITH DIGNITY
Menstrual Hygiene is vital to the health, well-being, dignity, and empowerment of women and girls. However, the issue of menstrual hygiene has been neglected in our society. Today in India, over 88% of the menstruating women do not have access to sanitary napkins and many more do not have any information regarding the same. Cultural perceptions and myths have etched their way into our society over the years and have impacted woman in a negative way, often leading to misinformation and the promotion of dangerous menstrual hygiene practices. Moreover, In the absence of these napkins, many resort to using leaves, ash, bark, etc. which could potentially lead to several health problems
Menstruation is a natural biological process, yet, it remains a sensitive topic in our society. Cultural perceptions and myths have etched their way into our society over the years and have impacted woman in a negative way. This can often lead to misinformation and the promotion of dangerous menstrual hygiene practices.
Through RutuChakra, we intend to make a positive change: to make an effort towards embedding measures within society to promote menstrual hygiene. This is entirely a youth driven initiative. By supplying sanitary napkins to the underprivileged girls and conducting workshops in multiple areas so that women can practice safe menstruation. I believe that every menstruating girl/women has the right to safe menstrual products and knowledge on the same.
So, please support our cause so that we can reach out to more and more girls / women and help them menstruate in dignity. #menstruationmatters #makeapositivechange
ABOUT ME & THE CAMPAIGN
My name is Soumya Gupta. I am a student of NPS HSR, studying in grade 11. I joined this campaign with the sole purpose of changing the lives of girls around India, who are deprived off the most important right- the right to live a hygienic life. This very right is taken away from them because of the lack of the single resource they require- a sanitary napkin. I would like to help these underprivileged girls live that very hygienic life which many of us, girls and women from well of backgrounds, live. Menstrual hygiene is an important part of life, something which is needed by every woman and girl. By joining this campaign, I will be able to reach out to those females who need to be assisted to achieve this menstrual hygiene. It just takes motivation and one sanitary napkin to help these individuals. I join this campaign in the hope of helping out others and spreading awareness amongst those kept in darkness.
HELP ME RAISE FUNDS TO PROVIDE SANITARY NAPKINS TO TWENTY(20) UNDERPRIVILEGED GIRLS AND WOMEN FOR A YEAR.(COSTS 1000 INR PER ANNUM PER GIRL). AS A GROUP WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO RAISE FUNDS TO IMPACT 500 GIRLS AND WOMEN.
By supporting my cause, you are helping me provide the necessary menstrual products and education on the same (through workshops) to girls who otherwise would not be able to afford it. You would be giving them a chance to practise safe menstruation and understand the changes taking place in their body; A chance to speak about this in a society where there is a social stigma and this is regarded as a sensitive topic.
Helping one person might not change the world but it can change the world for that one person. So I urge you to give your support. A simple act of kindness can have a profound impact on someone else's life and with your help I can truly make a difference here. After all, no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted
OUR PARTNER
ROTARY BANGALORE INDIRANAGAR
WE have partnered with the very reputed Rotary Bangalore Indiranagar for the sanitary pads initiative. Rotary Bangalore is a part of the ROTARY CLUB which is a global network of 1.2 million neighbours, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who come together to make positive, lasting changes in communities at home and abroad.
Rotary Bangalore along with its members have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, they are committed to always working to better our world.
TAX BENEFITS :
Receipts will be issued by Rotary Bangalore Indiranagar and have 80G tax benefits. No foreign funding is allowed.
Goal
- Promote better awareness amongst all genders to overcome embarrassment, cultural practices, taboos around the topic.
- To reach out to as many underprivileged girls as possible.
- To put in place a system to ensure a regular supply of sanitary napkins to the organisations.
- To ensure access to information on this topic and form a reliable source ( by conducting workshops)
- To provide facilities to hygienically dispose sanitary napkins.
About RutuChakra
RutuChakra was founded in January 2018 by Sanjana Dixit, a 10th grader from National Public School. Here at Rutuchakra, we believe in touching the lives of many and spreading a positive message. As a group of socially driven teenagers, we intend to do our part in helping those in need. The primary focus of RutuChakra, however, is on Health and Hygiene and especially on Menstrual Hygiene. There are three main categories that we look into:
- Supplying sanitary napkins to the underprivileged girls.
- Conducting workshops for these girls.
- Providing facilities to hygienically dispose the sanitary napkins
- To implement these, we have a strong core team which ensures that everything goes smoothly. We also believe in transparency and constantly update the necessary details on our website.
Costing :
ORGANISATIONS THROUGH WHOM THE SANITARY NAPKINS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED
We have selected organisations that work with underprivileged girls / women and provide them with various facilities such as education, skill based training and residential homes. Some of these organisations are also supporting PWDs ( People with Disabilities ).
Some of these organisations also have government schools under them. We would be supporting these girls as well.
Listed below are the organisations that we will support:
Mitra Jyothi - http://www.mitrajyothi.org
Vidya Organisation - http://www.mitrajyothi.org
Sandesh - https://www.sandeshindia.org
Samarthanam - http://www.samarthanam.org
ThayiMane - http://www.thayimane.org
Couple of government schools
WHAT HAS RUTUCHAKRA DONE TILL DATE?
Before taking forward this crowdfunding campaign, RutuChakra had already initiated a fundraiser and conducted a workshop in ThayiMane (Children’s Home). This took place in the month of January, 2018.The Fundraiser was largely spread across the school, apartment and social circles and we received an AMAZING response. Through the funds generated, we were able to supply sanitary napkins for 1 year for ~50 girls.
The workshop touched upon :
- General health and hygiene.
- Safe menstruation.
- Addressed questions / myths / concerns relating to this topic.
- Safe disposal of sanitary napkins
It was conducted by Ms. Sunita Shekokar (Gynaecologist)
The girls were also given health and hygiene kits consisting of items of basic personal hygiene.
IN THE NEWS :
