Foundation 21

Foundation 21 is a student-led Youth Organisation, established in 2018, working towards improving menstrual hygiene, fighting period poverty, spreading awareness about unspoken topics and breaking taboos. Our projects consist of Talk Period, Bangladesh, Project Red Kit, Project Mashik and Content Creation. Talk Period, Bangladesh is a social media platform and discussion group for people to talk about periods unapologetically. We aim to raise awareness and create a safe space for everyone to talk about menstruation. In a year we have grown to a family of members. Project Red Kit fundraises for underprivileged areas, schools and orphanages around Bangladesh by creating Menstrual Hygiene Kits called ‘Red Kits’. Our first distribution has been done to the orphanages by Bidyanondo Foundation with a total of 156 Red Kits. Project Mashik aims to hold workshops in rural areas regarding menstruation as well as train unemployed women and marginalised communities on how to make such reusable pads for manufacturing and by household products for emergency situations. Our Content Creation Team works toward raising awareness and breaking taboos. We have covered the #FreeKajol movement through informational posts to a documentary on Rape Culture in Bangladesh where we interveiwed multiple people who held the protests, attended the protests and feminists that have been fighting GBV across generations. To make healthcare accessible, we have partnered with Dhaka Doctor and DaktarBhai to get discounted consultation fees for gynaecologists and dermatologists. We aim to progress with our aims and projects to improve menstrual hygiene, end period poverty and break taboos while educating our society!