Our programs serve as vocational training centers for young adults living with HIV.

welcome to our new project: the saheli sanitary pad unit

a third vocational center focused on menstrual hygiene supported by gilead sciences

Our third vocational center is Saheli Sanitary Pad Unit, which focuses on women’s hygiene in rural India, especially for women with HIV. According to a report by the market research group AC Nielsen, “Sanitary Protection: Every Woman’s Health Right”, 88% of women in India are driven to use ashes, newspapers, sand husks and dried leaves during their periods. As a result of these unhygienic practices, more than 70% of women suffer from reproductive tract infections, increasing the risk of contracting associated cancers. An Indian social entrepreneur, Arunachalam Muruganantham has created the world’s first low-cost machine to produce sanitary pads. This has generated employment for many women in the rural areas. “Period. End of Sentence” is an Oscar winning documentary made by two women highlighting the stigma surrounding menstruation and the lack of hygienic products for women in rural India.

SnehaCares purchased machinery and raw materials in early November, 2021 from Jayashree Industries, a company owned by Arunachalam Muruganantham. The machinery and raw materials for the project were delivered in late November, 2021 to Sneha Charitable Trust, Bangalore. Sneha Charitable Trust has moved the project to Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu where Snehagram orphanage is located. We believe that this project will provide employment for at least 3-4 young adults with HIV and provide low cost sanitary pads to hundreds of young girls and women who are living with HIV. Menstrual hygiene is still a challenge for many young girls and women in India, while it is a basic right in many developed countries. SnehaCares is an organization with strong women leaders and are continuously working for the advancement for girls and women around the world.