The Dr. T.M.A. Pai Endowment Chair for Social Entrepreneurship, Manipal University, would be launching its “Health and hygiene of adolescent girls” programme at Perdoor High School in Perdoor village of Udupi district on March 28.
Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, Veena Kamath, Head of the Department of Community Medicine, said that under the programme, the Chair would be providing sanitary napkins to 22,500 adolescent girls in 180 high schools in rural areas of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, free of cost.
Menstrual hygiene was an important issue for adolescent girls and women in rural areas. They did not have full knowledge on the issue. Hence, the volunteers of various departments of the University would educate them about menstrual hygiene and reproductive issues. They will be sensitised on the use and advantages of sanitary napkins. They would also be told of the ways of disposing these napkins, Dr. Kamath said.
H.G. Joshi, Chairperson of Dr. T.M.A. Pai Endowment Chair for Social Entrepreneurship, said that the sanitary napkins were being produced by Self Help Groups (SHGs) run by the Chair for Social Entrepreneurship at Parkala and Laila villages.
“We are planning to distribute the sanitary napkins free of cost for a year. But it will also depend on the demand,” he said.
The programme is being launched in association with the Departments of Community Medicine, Public Health, and Commerce, School of Nursing and Volunteer Service Organisation (VSO) of Manipal University in Udupi district; and in association with St. Agnes College in Dakshina Kannada district.
Funds for this programme were being raised by appealing to organisations, companies and institutions. “Our focus is also on community development,” Dr. Joshi said.
Vinay Kumar Sorake, Urban Development Minister, and Shobha Karandlaje, MP, would be the chief guests at the inaugural function of programme on Saturday. Shivaram Shetty, President of Perdoor Gram Panchayat and H.S. Ganesh Bhat, Headmaster of Perdoor High School, would be guests of honour at the function, Mr. Joshi said.
Sandeep Shenoy, Head of the Department of Commerce, Manipal University, was present.
