Gift a pad - Gift her a smile

Period, menstruation...is still considered a taboo in parts of rural India.

Girl, who is menstruating is shunned to a corner of her home for those 5-7 days every month - deprived and restricted from doing her everyday activities.

As per a latest survey by P&G (Business Insider, April 26, 2021) adoption of pads in India is less than 20%. Unfortunately this figure has only dropped further during the pandemic as schools in the rural areas remained shut for a longer duration. 

Cost of pads is a big concern and one of the biggest causes of the lack of adoption as it is a cost center for a family when it is compared to basics of “getting food on the table”. Girls are forced to use and re-use old socks, rags, etc. in place of a pad which is not just unhygienic for her condition but can be lethal.  

During their periods, girls in the rural area are immobile and handicapped from doing basic household work, chores, etc. attending school is farfetched. It’s probably difficult for urban dwellers to fathom, but lack of availability of pads affects their well-being, confidence and education as well.

AITYS is an all-volunteer charitable trust that operates in the Pauri Garhwal district and was founded by Mrs. Madhu Chowdhry in 2012 with a belief that “No child should be deprived of education because of poverty”.

From supporting 3 schools to 20 schools till date, AITYS works across Education sponsorship, Health- medical camps, and providing Infrastructure support to facilitate quality education. While working closely with the schools and teachers, our volunteers found out how “period” was the main cause and affecting the girl students across the schools. 

With your support, we will be able to provide a year long supply of pads to 1300 girls across 20 schools. By doing so, we want to give them the basic gift of hygiene and safety. Having a continued supply of pads will lessen the pressure on their families to provide for the same amidst the hardships the rural dwellers face day in and out - the dilemma if they will have enough food on the plate for the family. 

Going forward, AITYS would also be building good toilets to ensure girl can have a safe, hygienic place to use during her menstruation and continue her education in a dignified manner. Your contribution would greatly assist in this effort.

Making “Period” taboo-free and a hygienic experience is our motto!

We want them to embrace their bodies and fertility. Inculcating positive values and associations for menstruation early on will have a ripple effect and break the taboo.

Girls will be able to walk equally on all days to school, attend classes, make her life happen on her period days and other days as well! More importantly we want girls to never be ashamed of periods.