ABOUT PROJECT SAHELI
ABOUT
Project Saheli is a heartfelt initiative focused on combating period poverty, destigmatizing menstruation, and providing comprehensive sex education. Through creative fundraising, I generated support to donate 4,000 pads to underprivileged teachers and students at Muktangan School. Collaborating with The Pad Squad, we facilitated essential discussions on periods and reproductive rights. The project is expanding to seven more schools, introducing sustainable period care products crafted by women in villages. ​
WHY?
An astonishing 71% of women in India lack a basic understanding of their own periods. Many receive no guidance on how to manage menstruation safely, how to prevent infections, or even how to feel about this natural process. What should be celebrated as a remarkable biological feat, a sign of vitality and fertility, has instead become a source of shame and silence. Knowing that so many women that are just as deserving as you or I must either spend a significant portion of their income on sanitary products or, worse, rely on inadequate makeshift substitutes simply to 'get by' infuriated me. No woman should ever feel ashamed of her body and its beauty. That’s why I started Project Saheli - to celebrate the strength and dignity that come with womanhood, to reclaim the importance of our cycles, and to empower every girl and woman to feel pride in her body’s resilience and potential. Project Saheli is all about girlhood and uplifting other women.
HOW?
I put my skills in Procreate and Adobe Illustrator to work for Project Saheli, creating custom-designed calendars from scratch. The immediate response was overwhelming – I managed to sell over 150 calendars, raising a substantial sum of INR 30,000. This financial support enabled us to procure essential period cups and pads, which were then distributed to underprivileged women free of charge. It's a gratifying experience, seeing how creativity and design can translate into tangible positive impact, making menstrual care more accessible for those who need it most.