Inspired by Padman, this 26-year-old man from Bareilly opens a PadBank to provide free sanitary napkins

Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Padman’ was inspired by Arunachalam Muruganantham, who started making affordable sanitary pads to help women in rural India. Now, inspired by the movie, 26-year-old Chitransh Saxena has opened a PadBank.

A resident of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Chitransh started a foundation called ‘My PadBank’ on June 4, 2018, to provide free sanitary napkins to women from economically weaker section of the society. The bank aims to spread awareness about menstruation in rural areas, reports Patrika.

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The bank has grown to become a 15 member team, which includes individuals, corporates and students working part time to help Chitransh make a difference.

Speaking to NDTV about ‘My PadBank’, Saxena said,

“Before starting my journey in social work, I was pursuing a degree in IT. My passion always leaned towards contributing to the society and uplifting the underprivileged. Watching the Padman movie was the triggering point for me. Arunachalam Muruganantham’s story inspired me and made me realise that men can play a huge role in breaking the period taboo.”

Saxena’s mission is to educate a maximum number of women about menstrual hygiene.

At his PadBank, anyone can donate sanitary pads, and if they cannot, then he/she can donate money. Saxena used social media to spread the word about this initiative, as well as took the help of his family, friends and relatives to reach out to people.

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The PadBank mostly targets schools, slums, and households to organise awareness programmes on menstrual hygiene. At the end of the three-hour workshop, the team gives a passbook to women and girls who cannot afford a sanitary pad.

Every month, the team visits the enrolled member’s house and gives eight sanitary napkins for free. Till date, 148 girls have enrolled with the bank, and over time, they have moved from cloth pads and leaves to sanitary napkins.

Talking about her experience as a volunteer, Nikita Singh Gaur told NDTV,

“I am happy to be a part of PadBank. I realised how people survive in rural areas during their menstruation cycle. We are trying to show that periods are normal and there is nothing to be ashamed about. I wish every girl has the courage to ask her father to buy a sanitary pad packet instead of asking her mother.”

Also read: Eco-friendly brand Heyday hopes to revolutionise the sanitary napkin segment

Saxena is now looking to initiate a project under which he will be conducting workshops only for men. He has also started an online campaign called ‘Let’s Talk About Periods’ where the team will appeal its followers to make a 30-second video and talk about menstrual hygiene. The theme for the video can range from eco-friendly sanitary napkins, menstrual waste, things to know about menstruation, menstruation myths, and so on.

Talking about his journey, Saxena says,

“From people ridiculing and shaming us in the beginning to now families approaching us to be a part of the bank, the journey has been tremendous for us.”

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