Introduction:
- STaMP NGO was founded by Ms. Vrisha Vyas (16 yrs.) and Ms. Hinal Jajal (17 yrs.) while studying in Std. 11th. Of Mumbai based Singapore International School, with an aim to create awareness among females to maintain cleanliness during menstruation and eradicating superstition, taboos and misunderstandings prevailing in the Society about their menstruation days.
- A project to be done under CAS (Creativity Activity Service) included in the school curriculum has taken the form of an NGO. While doing research about this project, we realised that especially in various rural areas of the country, even till date regarding this subject, there is no proper understanding neither are appropriate resources available. Even today, during their menstruation, large numbers of rural women use mud, cow dung, leaves, paper, plastic, rags etc., which are harmful to their health. We decided to not only give education about this subject but also provide adequate resources to enable proper implementation of the knowledge provided by us. For this, we decided to impart understanding to young girls regarding the cleanliness of body and mind during menstruation and provide suitable blood absorbent item like sanitary pads in enough quantity as to remain available and enable a distribution system for a price that is affordable to all.
- After knowing that from environment point of view, sanitary pads are highly damaging as naturally, each sanitary pad takes 500 to 800 years to get fully destroyed, we decided to establish an arrangement for their safe disposal and destruction.
- Not limiting the above thought process to be just a one-time experiment but to keep it running on a permanent basis such that it remains beneficial to the society and to make the entire project financially viable, led to the birth of Swachh Tan Man Paryavaran Charitable Trust (STaMP NGO) .
- While awareness programmes regarding periods and related hygiene have increased over the past few years, what makes STaMP NGO different is its design and objective. In every institute we go personally and provide knowledge about menstruation through an audio visual interactive presentation made by us and install Pad Vending machine, free of cost, to make available good quality sanitary pads each for Rs. 2/- only, for a period as long as possible. Also for an environmentally safe disposal and destruction of the used pads, we install Pad Incinerator machine, free of cost. A characteristic feature of Pad Incinerator machine is that it completely destroys the used pad in just a few minutes and converts 1 sanitary pad into 1 gram of ash and this ash can be used as fertilizer. Thus, used sanitary pads which are harmful to the environment are converted to being useful to the environment by this machine, providing a unique solution to this problem.
- From doctors to lawyers and journalists to social workers, professionals from diverse fields are supporting this noble cause. STaMP NGO in turn hopes to use their skills in the most effective manner.
- In perhaps the first-of-its kind initiative which works with underprivileged girls and women, STaMP NGO focuses specifically on the critical issue of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM).
LEGAL STATUS:
- Public Trust Registration No. E/3796/Sabarkantha Dated: 14/06/2018
- PAN – AAVTS8918A
- I.T. Exemption Order No.: ITBA/EXM/S/80G/2018-19/1015159020(1), Dtd.25/02/2019 w.e.f: 11/08/2018
