Project 'TeaPad' by JCI Bangladesh support female tea workers' menstrual hygiene

A new project jointly initiated by a few local organisations of JCI Bangladesh has taken place under the name 'Project TeaPad' in a tea estate in Sylhet city.

JCI Dhaka Ace, JCI Dhaka West, JCI Sylhet Platinum, JCI Dhaka United, JCI Dhaka Astral, JCI Dhaka Independent, Save Sylhet, B. Positive Foundation and Wreetu organised it jointly. In this project, the organisers have ensured menstrual hygiene and sanitation awareness and facilities among hundred unprivileged female tea workers of a Sylhet tea estate for a year.

Bangladesh is one of the largest tea producers in the world, and the major workforces are females here. They have long suffered from inadequate sanitation and hygiene. Although different NGOs and organisations took different actions, it has never resulted in a productive solution.

By considering those aspects, the organisers have provided reusable sanitary napkins by Wreetu, a producer of reusable feminine hygiene products, to these tea workers for a year for free, which the members of the concerned JCI local organisations funded.

There were also free medical camps, training and demonstration sessions about the usage of this napkin, awareness advocacy programs and many more.

During the inauguration ceremony, Marian Chowdhury, Former General Secretary of Sylhet Divisional Sports Association, was present as a chief guest. Fahim Ahmed, Local President of JCI Dhaka Ace, Md. Altamis Nabil, President of JCI Dhaka West, Mohammed Ehsanur Rahman, President of JCI Sylhet Platinum, Ayan Muminul Hoque, Founder of Save Sylhet, Azazul Hasan Khan, President of JCI Dhaka United, Syeda Shah Gufta Naz, President of JCI Dhaka Astral, Salehin Mohammed Mahdi, National Director of JCI Bangladesh were also present in this event.

One of the organisers, Fahim Ahmed, President of JCI Dhaka Ace, stated, "The main vision of this project is to raise menstrual safety awareness among these underprivileged women about hygiene and reusable sanitary napkins. In this phase, we've facilitated about a hundred female tea workers for one year, but our vision is to run it through all the major tea estates in the Sylhet area with a larger group in the coming days."

JCI is a non-profit international non-government organisation comprising young changemakers aged between 18 and 40 years who work to create a positive impact on society. It has members in more than 120 countries. There are currently over four thousand active members in JCI Bangladesh working with a vision to empower the youth.

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