From mood swings, painful cramps and disposal hassles, periods can be a pain. Now we know, besides causing physical discomfort, periods can also contribute to environmental damage as most sanitary napkins have layers of plastic in them.
Realising this, several organisations are trying out alternatives to the eco-unfriendly sanitary towels. The hunt is on for improved biodegradable alternatives and several organisations are spearheading awareness drives and reuseable sanitary products.
Rohit Memorial Trust
Almost a decade ago, Meenakshi Anantram and G Anantram lost their son, Rohit to cancer. In 2008, Rohit Memorial Trust was set up by them to run initiatives that created awareness about cancer.
One of their many projects is Gynalakshmi, which focuses on menstrual health. With a core team of 10 volunteers, the NGO creates awareness about menstrual health among the predominantly tribal areas of Paderu and Araku. “Every year, we reach out to over 40,000 girls and women to educate them about menstrual hygiene and its importance. We try to promote the use of sanitary napkins among the tribals who are accustomed to using cloth,” says Meenakshi.
However, convincing the people to make the switch from rugged cloth pieces to sanitary napkins was difficult.
“Despite several programmes, women were reluctant to switch to sanitary napkins. The cost of one packet of the sanitary napkin was equal to half a dozen eggs. Obviously feeding the family took precedence over buying napkins for themselves. On realising this, we started the free napkin distribution programme,” adds Meenakshi.
The organisation also held several workshops on tailoring cloth pads using cotton saris and layers of cotton balls.
To reach out to Rohit Memorial Trust 98481 91866 or 99496 27222
Icha foundation
When Kondakarlava-based Icha Foundation started manufacturing sanitary napkins in October 2017, not only did it provide local women financial independence but also brought in a lifestyle change.
“The women for decades have been using pieces of cloth. Now, they are slowly switching to using sanitary napkins,” says Madhu Tugnait, founder of Icha foundation.
When the foundation started its sanitary napkin production, Visakha Container Terminal Private Limited (VCTPL), set up the machinery for it as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
Seven women from the Kondakarlava were trained into making these napkins by the instructors from VCTPL
“The napkins are made from wood pulp and gel sheets which are both biodegradable. The front and back covers of the napkin are made from fabric,” she says.
“We conducted a test where we buried our napkin and a market-bought non-biodegradable one. After 15 days, the non-biodegradable was completely intact while ours decomposed completely,” adds Madhu.
The foundation produces almost 3500 packets of napkins every month. Each packet costs ₹45 and holds seven napkins.
To reach out to Icha Foundation 77021 55583 or 83749 48474
Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) 28.02.2015: Women at Sampoorna Rehabilitation Centre for Differently-abled at work as part of 'Sampoorna Swachta' campaign flagged off by Rotary Club Visakhapatnam Central in Visakhapatnam. --- photo: arranged
Sampoorna
Located in Maharanipeta, Sampoorna was founded by Ch Satya to empower differently-abled women. Initially, the organisation held tailoring and cooking classes to help women become financially independent. Over the years, the organisation added services to employ more women at the organisation.
The most recent is a sanitary-napkin making facility. Started in 2015 with the help of Rotary Club Visakhapatnam Central, the organisation manufactures over 1000 packets every month. Each packet consists of seven pads and is sold at ₹ 35. “The napkins are made from wood pulp, gel sheets, woven fabric and releasing paper. All of these materials are biodegradable,” says Satya. The organisation supplies these napkins to Rotary Club Visakhapatnam Central and VCTPL who distribute the napkins in several government schools in and around Visakhapatnam.
To reach out to Sampoorna 99591 51666
Nature
Nature was started in 1992 with the aim to spread awareness about education and healthcare among 600 tribal hamlets across Ananthagiri, Araku Valley, Dumbriguda and Hukumpeta Mandals of Visakhapatnam district. The organisation works with the help of a trained cadre of 600 tribal youth as a village development force. While the organisation does not manufacture sanitary napkins, it is actively conducting awareness campaigns in the remote tribal hamlets about menstrual hygiene.
With the help of over 180 women volunteers, it strives to promote the use of sanitary napkins among women and girls.
“Our van goes around the area for over 20 days a month and hosts awareness programmes. Women are told about the importance of menstrual hygiene and the need to switch to sanitary napkins,” says S Balaraju, founder of Nature. Apart from the use of sanitary napkins the organisation also teaches them about safe disposal of these products. “We tell them why it is necessary to wrap used napkins in papers and then dispose it in a dustbin rather than dumping them elsewhere,” he adds.
To reach out to Nature 94418 25181
