13-Year-Old Dubai Girl Raises Funds To Provide Sanitary Pads To Tribals

A 13-year-old Dubai-based girl, who originally belongs to Maharashtra, is doing her bit to ease the lives of tribal girls by providing them with sanitary napkins.

Inspired by Akshay Kumar's film 'Padman', Riva Tulpule has adopted 250 tribal girls from rural Maharashtra and donated sanitary napkins to them. Her aim is to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene. Riva has managed to collect funds for the cause in Dubai in the last couple of months. Last week, she came down to India and distributed about one year's stock of sanitary pads to girls from schools in Sahapur taluka in Maharashtra.

"I saw 'Padman' some months back and came to know about problems faced by girls during the days of their periods. I immediately decided to do something for girls living in villages in India, specially Maharashtra," she said.

https://www.facebook.com/NiranjanDavkhare/photos/pcb.1926087417446875/1926084657447151/?type=3&theater

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Padman is already the most-talked-about topic this year with celebrities taking to social media to initiate a conversation around menstrual hygiene. Earlier this year, we have not only seen the stars of the film posing with pads but common people too are seen holding pads as part of the #PadManChallenge. Riva, who is a Class 8 student, said this is a must-needed conversation we Indians need to start talking about. She also mentioned that having a brief discussion with MLC Niranjan Davkhare during his visit to Dubai, and the encouragement she received to take the idea forward changed her life.

Riva appeals to people in Dubai to donate money for the cause

Davkhare, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator, appreciated the girl's efforts and took to Twitter to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene. "Riva Tulpule, a 8th Standard student from Dubai, this Diwali decided to do something special & took up an initiative to adopt 250 girls from rural Maharashtra and support them with full year of Sanitary Pads....," he tweeted.

We surely need more trailblazing girls like Riva! You go, girl!

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