Spot On & Off

Young girls and women in rural India are confused when their first period takes place. This is due to lack of knowledge provided to them with respect to what is happening with their bodies. In India, there is a taboo associated with such topics which limits awareness in these girls about hygiene, and they often use cloth, follow other restrictions, and sometimes even drop out of schools. They may also suffer from more serious diseases due to the lack of menstrual hygiene. Equally, women have lack of knowledge and preparedness for another natural life stage – menopause. They suffer through this phase, sometimes for years even in urban India.

We would like to make a difference to the lives of these young girls in Mewat, which is one of the most backward districts in India. We are collecting data through surveys and conversations with the communities in this district to understand their specific issues, so we can design interventions that will help them. As part of our overall project plan, we would like to distribute reusable pads to the girls and women who do not have access to them. We would also like to launch an awareness campaign, through informative videos and other means so they can be more educated. We would like to start a fundraiser that will enable us to take these first steps.

Through Spot On & Off we want to create awareness, break taboos and empower women to embrace menstruation and menopause as something very normal in their life cycle. We believe when we involve the people we are trying to support; we create a long-term impact because the ownership shifts onto them. Our focus is Mewat, one of the most backward districts in India, and make a difference to the lives of girls in two villages – Kherla and Rewashan to raise their confidence and cerate sustainable access to pads and information for them.