Project SAKSHAM
SAKSHAM stands for Safe Knowledge on Sexual Health and Menstruation.
Project SAKSHAM began in August 2020. Amidst the pandemic, we realized the need to manage menstrual waste – so we started the Project as a way to provide sustainable and reusable menstrual products to people from lower income backgrounds. Our aim at the beginning was to reach out to the waste pickers in Pune, Maharashtra (India). We wanted to provide a long term solution to the problem of costly and environment degrading (normal) sanitary pads. A cloth pad can last for 3-5 years whereas a cup will last for at least 8-10 years. Our initiative would cut the costs of menstruating for waste pickers by at least 80%.
We quickly realized that provision of sustainable period products alone was but a drop in the sea of problems surrounding Menstruation in the society. The majority of the women we interacted with did not understand the phenomena of menstruation and the plethora of social taboos, misconceptions and stigma that was prevalent everywhere was even more the norm in lower income communities. That is when we realized the need for education and the power of informed choice.
There is no environmental justice without social justice, therefore Project SAKSHAM aims to tackle period poverty and the lack of education on menstrual health at the same time. Through interactive sessions around the female reproductive system, periods, and the period products as well as sustainable alternatives available, we educate the people on menstrual health management (MHM) and empower them to make an informed choice on what product they want to use to manage their periods.
As we progressed with our work, we realized that the lack of education is not just limited to menstruators from low income communities, but the larger society as a whole. We expanded our work to schools, where we educate young students on the importance of MHM and also provided educational sessions on Comprehensive Sexuality Education to tackle the lack of reliable and safe knowledge for the youth on sexuality and sexual education.
Community Mobilisation Model
Realizing the need for a sustainable solution for the communities, we launched the Community Mobilisation Model in 2022. We realize that we cannot always be present at the communities, but the menstruators living in those communities need a support system in terms of information about menstrual health. For this, we identify one or two persons to be trained as menstrual health educators that can represent Badlaav SRF as a proxy in their respective communities. They are trained to conduct sessions on menstrual health and facilitate conversations on subjects around it, which are generally considered taboo in the society.
This enables us to ensure that the menstruators in the community have access to safe, sustainable and affordable period products and helps us understand the community better through the trust that the people put in the community mobilizers. In addition to being educators, the community mobilizers also act as a support system for the people in case of any menstrual or reproductive issues they might face.
Our Community Mobilizers
Since the inception of the Community Mobilisation Model in August 2022, we have trained and employed two Community Mobilisers who are spreading awareness in their communities in full swing.
Our Community Mobilizers Ashwini Didi (top, left) and Anuradha didi (bottom, right) have been working diligently to providesustainable menstrual products and support to their community members in the areas of Menstrual Hygiene Management. In addition to representing Badlaav SRF as proxies in their communities, they also make a livelihood out of the work they do.
As of now, we have Community Mobilisation Models running smoothly in two low-income communities in Pune:
Bhim Nagar Mangalwar Peth
Ashwini Dhaware is our Community Mobilizer for the Community of Bhim Nagar Mangalvar Peth. Since starting out in August 2022, she has conducted 140 sessions, reached out to over 700 people in the community and distributed 115 cloth pads and 7 menstrual cups to the women in her community.
Janta Vasahat
Our Community Mobilizer for the Community of Janta Vasahat is Anuradha Shinde. She started with Badlaav in October 2022. In the short span of time, she has conducted 75 sessions reaching out to over 650 people in the community and distributed 130 cloth pads to the women in her community.
