PROBLEM:

Period poverty, a global health issue often overlooked, affects millions of women worldwide, including in India. Insufficient access to menstrual products, education, and sanitation facilities leaves approximately 500 million women without proper menstrual hygiene management (MHM). 

In India, around 50% of women resort to using menstrual clothes, leading to health risks such as UTIs, hepatitis B, and cervical cancer, especially in rural areas. 

Shockingly, only 30% of women in rural Haryana use sanitary napkins, emphasizing the urgent need for menstrual education and products.

Despite being touted as highly developed, Gurgaon, a district in Haryana, still grapples with discrimination and shame surrounding sexual and reproductive health and rights, particularly affecting rural youth.

SOLUTION:

In our mission to tackle the menstrual hygiene crisis in Gurugram, "Freedom" has taken proactive steps. We've launched educational programs in government schools, empowering students with knowledge about menstrual hygiene. Now, we're intensifying our efforts by ensuring access to safe, sanitized, and sufficient menstrual products.

Pic:- We students went to visit the school and taught the students about menstrual hygiene.

To achieve our target of distributing 350 kits to women and girls in Gurugram, we require approximately INR 35,000. Partnering with Parijat Academy, Assam, we've discovered a sustainable solution. Their school produces reusable sanitary pads crafted from cloth with anti-leak properties. 

Each woman receives 5 pads, which can last up to a year. The small, medium, and large sizes cost INR 80, 120, and 140 respectively. All profits generated are then utilized for the development of the school.

Each menstrual kit will cost approximately INR 500. So,

If you fund INR 2500, you impact 5 girls/ women.
If you fund INR 5000, you impact 10 girls/ women.
If you fund INR 10000, you impact 20 girls/ women.

By supporting our initiative, you're not just providing menstrual products but catalyzing development and equality for women across India. 

Pic:- These menstrual pads are given in kits made by the NGO, Parijat Acedemy.

Join us in breaking the silence and stigma surrounding menstruation and empowering women for a healthier, more equitable future. Your contribution can make a significant difference in the lives of underprivileged girls in Gurugram. Together, let's ensure that no woman or girl is left behind due to period poverty.

ABOUT ME:

 My name is Vivika Bhatnagar. I am a Grade 12 student at the Pathways World School, Aravalli.

I am very passionate about helping others, especially those who are less privileged than I am. Helping and benefitting others makes me truly happy. It is a joy to make a difference in another's life, to see them smile.

For women and girls in homes that we come from, sanitary pads are the norm and not a luxury.

For girls and women from poor homes, it is a luxury. To manage their menstrual needs they unfortunately are forced to resort to practices that are unhygienic and lead to health issues. The solution is to give them a menstrual hygiene kit that is cost-effective, lasts long, and is not too bulky. It impacts their health, education, and income ( no missing school or work) and gives them immense confidence. The reusable sanitary pads were bought from the NGO - Parijat Academy.

The Hygiene kit that is being is unique as it is reusable, and has 4 pads. It lasts for 12 months and reduces dramatically the amount of waste created (as otherwise pads are dumped every month). As they last for so long they are also cost effective. Disposable/Normal sanitary pads have to be bought repeatedly, cost INR 50-100 per month, and are very damaging to the environment as they create huge waste.

The cost of each hygiene kit varies by size such as small, medium, and large sizes cost INR 80, 120, and 140 respectively. I request all of you to support my campaign. Let's come together and do our bit.

ABOUT THE NGO:

Parijat Academy is a non-profit organization in Assam, that provides holistic education to children from underprivileged tribal communities. With a focus on free education, hostel facilities, holistic development, and vocational skills, the academy empowers students to break the cycle of poverty. Through a stimulating environment, Parijat Academy nurtures children to realize their full potential and become financially independent adults.

LOCATION MAP:

LOTUS PETAL FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization founded in November 2011 with the primary objective of creating equal opportunities for underprivileged children living in urban and semi-urban areas. Lotus Petal Sr. Secondary School promoted by Lotus Petal Foundation is an English medium school with a pedagogy tailored for underprivileged children equipping them for a lifelong journey of upward social mobility in mainstream society.  The menstrual hygiene kits will be distributed to underprivileged girls from the school.