Lockdown: Students distribute sanitary pads to needy in Bhopal

Bhopal, Apr 24 () With most establishments downingtheir shutters in light of the COVID-19 lockdown in MadhyaPradesh, many have lost access to essentials, includinghygiene products.

However, a non-profit organisation run by students hascome to the rescue of underprivileged women in the slums ofBhopal, by providing them sanitary napkins in theseunprecedented times.

A city-based organisation called Manasa distributed atleast 3,000 sanitary napkins in slum colonies across the cityto help women who could not buy these monthly hygiene productsduring the lockdown.

"Our group, which primarily consists of students,raised money for poor women. We pooled in Rs 16,000 to buysanitary napkins," founder of the organisation Janvi Tiwarisaid.

The 21-year-old got in touch with different agenciesand NGOs that were involved in distributing essentials inghettoes and got them to give away sanitary pads as well.

"I realised that women living in slums would find itdifficult to purchase sanitary products during the lockdown. Ididn't want them to use unhygienic cloth strips that can causeinfections," said Tiwari, who is pursuing a degree inpsychology.

With the lockdown in place, the supply of sanitarypads to the city has dwindled and they were trying to accessmore sanitary napkins for distribution, said Tiwari, who hasbeen working on the issue of menstrual health for the last twoyears. LAL MASARU ARU