Meena Mehta understands the importance of hygiene. She knows that hygiene standards in parts of Surat, where she lives, are vastly different from what a lot of women take for granted. Along with her husband Atul, Meena distributes hygiene kits and sanitary napkins to girls in their neighbourhood and in schools.
She takes special care in packing these kits. Each kit contains one packet of sanitary napkins, two sets of undergarments, one bar of soap, and four shampoo sachets. She distributes these free kits once every month in 35 municipal schools, one school for deaf and mute students, and one school for the blind.  Each kit costs Rs 60/-
They have been carrying this out for the last 4.5 years. Her husband put forth Rs 25,000/ initially. Since then, they have never looked back. Hygience standards have improved since then- and so has attendance, since absentees do not get kits! They spend money out of their own pockets and from donations that pour in through their Facebook page- MANUNI.
Being inspired by Sudha Murthy, she says- she was overwhelmed when she got a chance to meet her. This has only fueled her determination to work for her cause. She thinks of the girls as her daughters- and wants to work for them for as long as she can.