It’s reported that Indian girls typically miss around 20% of the school year due to menstruation and many women remain housebound during their monthly cycle. It’s proven that access to low-cost, locally appropriate sanitary products improves women’s health, nutrition, well-being, and school attendance, bringing long-term health, social and economic benefits.

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How we help

 

We are addressing our beneficiaries’ menstrual health through our small-scale Smile manufacturing plant. The production is simple yet cost-effective – machine operators can learn the whole process in three hours - using technology pioneered by Keralan social entrepreneur Arunchalam Muruganantham and locally sourced materials, it produces enough maternity and regular sanitary pads for our own beneficiaries needs with the surplus sold to local markets.

 

Who we help

 

The hygienic production facility based in our Rehab Center is run by a project manager who trains and supervises staff made up of our older girls and boys able to work part-time after college and residents of our women’s shelter.

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Being able to manufacture these products ourselves saves considerably on the expense of purchasing them and the income the workers receive is helping them to become financially independent.

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How you can help

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You can purchase our sanitary pads by contacting smiile@snehalaya.org.