Thousands of Syrian and Iraqi women living in Jordan’s refugee camps have no access to sanitary pads, and are using rags as substitute to pads. They are set to benefit from an Indian solution to their predicament of unhygienic menstruation practices. An American non-governmental organisation, Loving Humanity, that works in conflict relief areas in association with the UN, is seeking to replicate the low-cost sanitary napkin manufacturing model of the Sakhi enterprise, founded by Swati Bedekar from Vadodara.
Bedekar’s Vatsalya Foundation is focused on encouraging correct menstrual hygiene in rural India. The foundation launched the Sakhi initiative by using the existing Sakhi Mandal (self-help group) network to teach and encourage women members to manufacture and use sanitary pads. The initiative not only gave the women access to affordable sanitary options, but also became a source of income.
Amy Peake, founder of Loving Humanity, is keen to duplicate the success of the Sakhi model in many of Jordan’s refugee camps, convinced it is the solution she was looking for. She is currently in Gujarat preparing to export machines and raw materials to set up 12 manufacturing units, and expects to begin production in the camps soon.
The Sakhi manufacturing machines are based on the model and practices set up by Arunachalam Muruganantham of Coimbatore, who pioneered a low-cost sanitary pad making machine at the turn of the century.
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