True Celebration of Navmi 🌺🙏
What is the purpose of celebrating Navratri and Navmi if we cannot provide a basic necessity to every woman we worship as Devi?
Basta Foundation has distributed more than 90,000 sanitary pads to women and girls who need them, along with magazines that spread awareness about menstrual hygiene. These magazines are written in Hindi, using simple language so that girls can easily read, understand, and learn about menstrual health.
Our magazines also educate men and boys in these communities about menstruation, the discomfort women experience during their periods, and how they can support them. We want to break the silence around menstruation and ensure that it is no longer treated as a taboo or something to be ashamed of.
For the past two years, we have continuously researched and worked in slums and underprivileged areas. During this journey, we found girls using newspapers, old and dirty clothes, rags, leaves, and other unhygienic materials during their periods because they could not afford sanitary pads. Using unsafe materials can increase the risk of infections and other health complications.
We decided to work towards preventing these health problems and improving menstrual hygiene among underprivileged women and girls. We have been working hard in this direction for the last two years, and today, we have achieved something we are truly proud of.
Our aim is to work with the Government of India to make sanitary pads freely available to women and girls across India. Just like water and air, sanitary pads are a basic necessity. No woman or girl should have to compromise her health because she cannot afford them.
As a corporate lawyer, I spent my Navmi holiday serving a cause that is very close to my heart. It took me years to realise that the real happiness of life comes from serving others and making a difference in their lives.
If we worship women as Devi, we must also care for their health, dignity, and basic needs.
This is what we believe is the true celebration of Navmi: turning our devotion into action and ensuring that every woman and girl has access to the basic necessities she deserves.
Happy Navmi to all and Happy Dussehra! 🌺🙏
