Most of us would have enjoyed watching this INK talk by Muruganantham, the first man who wore a sanitary pad http://www.inktalks.com/discover/177/arunachalam-muruganantham-the-first-man-to-wear-a-sanitary-napkin-inktalks and in the process, learnt the plight of millions of women in rural areas during their periods.

We started RUTUMITRA keeping this in mind. We are manufacturing eco-friendly, sterile sanitary pads with the machinery invented by Muruganantham. Where do we work? Not in urban Bangalore, not even in suburban towns like Tumkur – but in a small village called Hattihalli, deep inside Tumkur, where there is electricity only for 3 hours in a day.

The machinery was set up with donations from Rotary Bangalore, Sarathi’s Charitable Trust and Concern India Foundation in June 2014 and is running smoothly. Vision 2020 Australia donated for construction of incinerators for easy and safe disposal in girl’s toilet of 16-18 village schools as also a van for easy distribution. We conduct sessions to bring awareness about the myths and taboos. This, as we call, is an end-to-end Menstrual Hygiene Management.

The challenge now is to provide these pads to those who need the most – teenage girls and women in the neighbouring villages who can neither access (nearest pharmacy is 15km away) nor afford to pay for it. So much that they use rags, ash, husk as alternatives!

Here’s where we need your help. By donating as little as Rs 700, you’ll be able to support a year’s supply of hygiene and keep our operations running. This hygiene kit contains 120 sanitary pads, 120 newspaper covers for easy disposal of used pads and a couple of panties, all packed in a nicely designed cloth bag.

Let’s give the same comfort, dignity and freedom we have to a less fortunate woman. Why only food, shoes, uniform and books? Why not a sanitary pad?