Thank God, I had finished my 8th grade. Since it was the year 2020, I did most of my schooling from home as the whole world was suffering from the Covid-19 outbreak. It seemed like the year went by very slowly; every time my phone rang, my heart pounded, and I hoped I would not hear any more bad news from anyone. The year taught me a lot about how fragile human life is and how precious time is. Finally, the nation was declared corona-free, and schools were taken offline.
After my 8th-grade year, I had a nice three-month break. Many of my friends were making plans; some were planning to visit their relatives. I looked forward to going out in the sun, riding my bike, and meeting friends. So, I spent the first month with nothing but excitement, giving time to my friends and my grandparents, who I had not seen for over a year. But it kept running through my mind that I wanted to do something good before I started 9th grade. Something that would satisfy me. I had seen my father tirelessly procuring oxygen cylinders, coordinating with hospitals, and getting medicines for his colleagues in COVID times through his NGO, which inspired me a lot.
Eventually, I decided to start my own NGO with my 2 like-minded friends. We had been mulling over this idea for almost 1 year and then postponed it due to COVID-19 constraints. My passion for non-profit organizations stems partly from my experience in my father’s NGO and partly from my desire to make a difference in this world.
As Swamy Vivekananda rightly told every youth of the nation, “Arise, awake, and do not pause till the goal is reached,” and “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service to others.”
The Akshata Foundation was established with the idea of educating teenage girls in rural areas about menstrual hygiene, cervical cancer, and the use of sustainable products. The impetus for setting up such a foundation probably came from encounters with young girls in rural areas who were missing school during their periods or using unsafe materials due to a lack of access to sanitary products. I recognized the need to raise awareness about menstruation while I worked as a volunteer in my father’s non-governmental organization that mainly focuses on distributing free books and stationery to students in government high schools, along with laptops and scholarships to those who were exceptional in their academic performance. During my work there, I was always touched by stories of young girls who dropped out of school because their families could not afford basic hygiene items or because they felt ashamed due to cultural taboos.
I recognized that menstruation is not just a physical problem but is also closely linked to social attitudes. To bring about lasting change, I wanted to focus on raising awareness about menstrual health, breaking taboos, and creating a supportive environment where girls and women can talk openly about their health issues. Education would be the most important pillar of the foundation.
First, we identified two government girls' schools in the Doddaballapura district. To make the students take the issue of menstruation very seriously, we contacted a volunteer, Asha Madam, who had given more than 500 lectures on menstrual hygiene and the use of sustainable products. I was humbled when she agreed to visit the school and give a talk. She always inspires me because she has dedicated her whole life to bettering the society without enriching herself or pursuing greedy motives. She chose the profession of social work because she wanted to do it, not for publicity or to make money, but for the satisfaction and joy of giving.
Even though Asha Madam was well-versed in getting the attention of young girls with the use of diagrams and PowerPoint presentations to explain menstrual hygiene and sustainable pads, for girls, menstrual hygiene was a topic they were ashamed and embarrassed about. We gave the girls the first 2 to 3 days to delve into the topic. Some liked our thoughts, while some were very stubborn and thought we were crazy!!!
Gradually, after a few days, I began to take sessions. After a few hiccups, I was pretty good at getting the message across. I started teaching. I explained to them how harmful plastic sanitary pads are and how microplastics are polluting the world, because these are the things they have to use in real life. To motivate them, I also gave them little tasks to do at home to research alternatives to plastic and announced that there would be a prize for the best researcher. It gave me great satisfaction and peace of mind when they showed interest. I gave them plenty of breaks between sessions, held Q&A sessions, and shared my personal stories with them. The most inspiring thing for them to follow me was to know that we, urban Bengaluru girls, use sustainable cloth sanitary napkins instead of plastic ones and how easy it is to use and to reuse.
Conducting events is just one facet of the overall process; however, evaluating their effectiveness is of utmost importance. We conducted the evaluations, usually through surveys or quizzes administered before and after a session to determine participants’ knowledge of menstrual hygiene. Analysing the comparative results allowed us to assess the extent to which the sessions improved participants' understanding. In addition, school attendance was monitored before and after the sessions, particularly at times when the girls were likely to be menstruating. Another strategy implemented by Akshata is to conduct interviews or focus group discussions with teachers and parents to determine whether they have noticed any changes in terms of the girls' attendance, their hygiene practices, or overall well-being.
Through the Akshata Foundation, we have distributed more than 1000 cloth sanitary napkins in around 20 government schools in rural Bangalore over the last 3 years. We have educated around 1000 young girls on how to use cloth pads, their benefits, and how to clean them. To raise the funds to buy sanitary pads and other miscellaneous expenses, we have conducted various charity events like cake sales, second-hand book sales, and puppy yoga. I am glad that I have good support from the co-founders of Akshata Foundation, who are with me through all the steps of my journey. My parents and my teachers understand my enthusiasm.
To expand the reach of the initiative, we plan to work with local and international organisations to facilitate the wider distribution of menstrual products and educational materials. The initiative also aims to introduce mobile health clinics, braille books for visually impaired girls and workshops in remote areas to ensure that marginalized populations, including women and girls in rural areas, receive adequate education and support. A focus on training local leaders and health workers will further increase the sustainability of the program.
I am proud to say that as sixteen-year-old teenagers, we are working diligently to change mindsets in rural areas through a mix of education, activism, and peer influence. We are
tackling deep-rooted taboos, advocating for equality, and moving our communities forward. We hope that our efforts, enthusiasm, and dedication will one day lead to a meaningful change.
The article "The Power of Giving: Empowering Communities through Youth Initiatives" has been chosen among the top ten articles in The Trailblazers 2025, a national-level article writing competition organised by Youthisthan Foundation to celebrate National Youth Day on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Good article by a young girl 👍