Not just a piece of cloth - Sanitary Pads for the poor

When the monthly period comes, most of us ladies just reach out for a pre-packed Laurier or Modess (in the old days) to handle Nature's 'gift' (or plaque, to some). But in times of disaster, as flood or the recent earthquake in Japan, I sympathise with those who have already gone through the trauma of losing all their belongings & even loved ones, but to also had to suffer the trauma and indignity of this 'natural' occurence. It's unthinkable, which is why I tried to offer a little comfort by organising to send their 'valuable' commodity to the quake victims via CREST (a crisis relief group) recently through my group.

Now I just read in yesterday's Star paper that the similar fate is faced by millions of  under-privileged women in India (everywhere as poverty has no boundaries) and it's worse! They have been facing it ALL their lives (since puberty, of course). When they are too poor to buy commercial sanitary pads, what's the alternative? -- dirty rags, ash, sand and cocunut husk!! Ouch... So sad :((

But luckily, there is an NGO that collects old cloth/clothes from the rich and re-process it into cheap, sanitary pads. Another example of RE-CYCLING, creation of JOB OPPORTUNITIES, maintaining gynaecological HEALTH and DIGNITY.

Here's some excepts of the article :

In such a bleak scenario – whereby government spending on health is barely 2% of its GDP while defence expenditure is 17% – non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like Goonj are a godsend. The New Delhi-based outfit, launched by founder Anshu Gupta in 1998, collects unused clothes from rich, urban households to manufacture, among other things, cheap sanitary napkins for the poor. Priced at Rs5 (approx 30 sen) for a pack of five, these innovative aids provide a dignified solution to a traumatic personal problem for underprivileged women.


“Menstrual hygiene is one of the most neglected and least discussed topics in rural India,” says Dr Himanshi Behl, a Delhi-based obstetrician. “Millions of women use sand, wood ash, old rags, newspapers and even plastic bags due to their inability to afford commercially available sanitary pads.”

.....Napkin preparation is a systematic though laborious process. Cloth received from donors is first soaked in water for one night and then washed with antiseptic detergent. It is then dried, and the buttons and chains removed. The cloth is then cut into pieces of uniform size and thickness. The cut pieces are ironed to remove the remaining moisture. A magnet is run over the pieces to ensure no sharp objects are left behind. These are then packed in newspaper bags, which are also made by Goonj. The napkins are now ready to be distributed.
Each set of napkins has three parts: a waist-string, a small absorbent pad and a palm-wide strip to hold the padding in place while its ends are tucked under the waist-string. Ten sets are packed with care into a drawstring pouch for a women to receive without embarrassment.
The NGO’s volunteers hold meetings in villages across India and sensitise them about health and hygiene issues.....

OTHER VENTURES OF GOONJ
Overall, the mass participation of housewives, professionals, schools, collages, corporates, exporters, hotels and hospitals behind Goonj’s recycling and distribution centres helps to send out over 50,000kg of recycled waste materials every single month! A vast network of more than 250 grassroots agencies are also helping Goonj – which means “echo” in Hindi – reach parts of 21 states of India.


The NGO also has a repertoire of products made from waste materials. For instance, it makes backpacks from torn jeans, mobile pouches from ties, skipping ropes from saris and balls from sofa cushions...

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2011/6/27/lifefocus/8751288&sec=lifefocus


SIDEBAR :  I was at a craft bazaar not so long ago and a girl was trying to sell me her home-made sanitary pads, made from new, cutely printed cotton at a premium price. Her marketing pitch :  It's washable, re-usable and cleaner!   ...  With a raised eyebrow and weak smile I said - thanks, but no thanks. But apparently in certain religions, you are suppose to wash away the stains before disposing a used sanitary pad...or in this case re-using it.