BURLINGTON, MA–The Desai Foundation, which empowers women and children through community programming, is kicking off Women’s History Month as a participant in the GlobalGiving Girl Fund Campaign, the Desai Foundation said in a statement.
The mission is to elevate the organization’s Sanitary Napkin Program, which provides employment and dignity for women in Gujarat, India by training women in both the manufacturing and distribution of the napkins.
Over the next two weeks, the Desai Foundation will compete to secure funding for their Sanitary Napkins Program for the remainder or 2017, ultimately reaching 250,000 women and girls.
With the Sanitary Napkins Program, women are trained to manufacture high-quality, low-cost sanitary napkins that are 90% biodegradable. They then distribute the pads throughout their communities, creating a self-perpetuating empowerment cycle in which girls and women can take control over their own health and livelihood. The program also provides vital health education in managing menstrual hygiene. This de-stigmatizes menstruation and instills in women and girls the importance of self-care.
From March 1-15, every donation of $10 or more will be considered a “vote” for the Desai Foundation campaign. The campaign with the most votes will become an official member of GlobalGiving’s Girl Fund initiative, which includes financial support until the end of the year.
“With period shame very much still an issue in rural India, 66 percent of girls skip school when they’re on their periods. Our Sanitary Napkins Program not only provides employment and dignity, but ensures more girls can excel in their education,” said Megha Desai, president of the Desai Foundation. “We’re thrilled to have an opportunity to compete for GlobalGiving’s Girl Fund prize! Winning the campaign would significantly boost our ability to empower women and girls in dozens of villages across rural South Gujarat, India,”
Donors are encouraged to “vote” on March 8, International Women’s Day, as GlobalGiving will match all donations received on that day! To “vote” for the Desai Foundation visit the organization’s GlobalGiving campaign page: https://goto.gg/25979 .
