Laxmi Munda and her sisters did not have sanitary napkins at home, neither could they buy it as their nearest medical shop in Jaskandi village around 2km away wasn’t open due to the ongoing lockdown.

Most of the girls in rural areas do not have access to shops. Even if they have, most shops aren’t open now.

As pads were a necessity, Laxmi apprised of this problem to Tarun Kumar, one of the founders of social outfit Nischay, who started distributing sanitary napkins to the needy across East Singhbhum district.

Nischay, the social outfit working for menstrual hygiene, along with its group of volunteers have collected Rs 40,000 and have distributed 2,500 sanitary napkins to the needy rural girls and women across the district since April 12.

Kumar, roped in volunteers, did personal crowdfunding through social media and collected Rs 40,000.

He said: “Most of the girls faced the problem as they could not leave home and marketplaces are far off. As many consider menstruation a taboo, they don’t even ask their fathers to get sanitary napkin packets.”

After the first call from Laxmi, they genuinely felt the need to do something, he said. “Since cash flow is at its worst now, we asked people to donate which they did generously,” he added.

Nischay has been working on menstrual hygiene in a number of blocks in East Singhbhum and has also created the Pad Bank concept to make rural girls get used to better hygiene while having their periods.

So far, Tarun and his volunteers have travelled across the district to distribute the packets as required.

The entire district has been divided in three zones for volunteers to understand their demarcated areas easily. Students and teachers have all involved themselves to help in these hard times.

“We were saved. Since shops weren’t open we were clueless as to what we will do,” said Laxmi who’s now a first semester student of LBSM College.

“Since we had worked with Nischay before, I called them up and they have been too helpful. I got sanitary napkins for 20 girls in my village who did not know how to get them. Moreover, money is also a problem in these times. I am thankful to all those who helped us,” said she.

A government school teacher Pran Krishna has also joined the campaign. He is reaching out to rural girls to deliver the packets and is spreading awareness on menstrual hygiene. He has helped a dozen girls in his village, Jorsa in Patamda.

“I too have a daughter. I understand the problem,” said Krishna.