Nav Astitva Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Bihar, India that works towards improving the health and hygiene, education, and empowerment of women and adolescents. The organization has a primary focus on menstrual health and hygiene, and works towards addressing the issues surrounding it in a holistic and inclusive manner.
The organization was founded in 2012 by two dynamic personalities, Amrita Singh and Pallavi Sinha, and is registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. Since its inception, Nav Astitva Foundation has been dedicated to addressing the pressing issues of health and hygiene, education, and empowerment through partnerships and collaborations with various government and non-government organizations such as UNICEF, ICDS, Jeevika, Rotary Club of Bihar, Indian Red Cross Society, Bihar Government, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and many others.
One of the major initiatives of the organization is the opening of the first Sanitary Pad Bank in Bihar. This project aims to provide affordable and accessible sanitary pads to women and girls, particularly in rural areas, to help them maintain their menstrual health and hygiene. Another initiative is the Hunger Project named as Sai ki Rasoi, which aims to provide nutritious meals to underprivileged women and girls. Nav Astitva Foundation has also installed Sanitary Vending Machines in schools, colleges and public places to make it more convenient for women to access sanitary products. The organization has also started an open dialogue on menstrual health and hygiene (MHM) named as TALK ON PERIODS to break the taboo surrounding menstruation and to educate people about it.
In addition to these initiatives, the organization has launched the She care health card for underprivileged women, which provides them with access to medical facilities and treatments. The organization also has an online medical consultancy program named "Sawal Aapke Jawab Hamare" with experts and doctors, which provides medical advice to women and girls in remote areas.
Nav Astitva Foundation has also done mass awareness programs in 38 model schools in 38 districts of Bihar in partnership with UNICEF and BEPC under the program "Mukhymantri Kishori Swasthya Yojna" and started program named as Swach Betiyaan Swach Samaj. The aim of these programs is to educate and empower girls and young women on menstrual health, hygiene, and nutrition.
Overall, Nav Astitva Foundation is a dedicated organization that is working towards addressing the pressing issues of health and hygiene, education, and empowerment of women and adolescents in Bihar. The organization's holistic and inclusive approach, partnerships and collaborations with various government and nongovernment organizations, and its various initiatives and programs are making a significant impact in the lives of the women and girls in Bihar.
Amrita Singh is a dynamic and accomplished individual who is dedicated to making a positive impact on society. She is a science graduate and environmentalist who founded the Nav Astitwa Foundation (NAF) in 2012, with the goal of improving the health and hygiene of women and children.
Pallavi Sinha is a dynamic and experienced woman who has dedicated her life to serving society. She is a Josephite and a computer graduate from Patna Women's College. In 2012, she founded the Nav Astitwa Foundation (NAF), that works exclusively for health and hygiene programs for women and children.
The goal is to make sanitary pads accessible and affordable by setting up sanitary banks and installing vending machines in public institutions and other places for emergencies. The vending machines also include disposal options for used pads.
We arrange consultations between women and physicians, allowing them to talk about their health concerns.
We promote AYUSH i.e. advocacy of homeopathy. AYUSH helps provide a complete cure of disease which is very effective in menstrual-related problems.
We connect women with doctors by xing an appointment with them. This helps them to discuss their health issues.
2 Ladies, stepped into the world of social service and started awaring the slum dwellers with a basic literacy programme, simple calculations of money and wages per day, Health & Hygiene awareness related to their urinals, bathing habits, cleaning surrounding to be safe & protected
Organized Regular Health Clinics weekly for women and children to keep them healthy. Spreading quality time with these slum women brought us closer to a few true hidden facts and that was the plight of slum women during periods. A pandora box generating innumerable diseases. A bad foul stink could be noticed from them that was due to not taking bath during periods, reusing dirty clothes during menstruation and so many wrong practices. We came across bigger challenges when we tried to talk to the women about their menstrual life. The elder women started scolding us, misbehaved and even alligated us for misguiding their daughter.
The journey of challenges began, when we stepped out of our home and entered theirs. 2012 completely differed as no PADMAN was there to broaden the mindset of people. The 2 Ladies with the aim of "Swachh Betiyan Swachh Samaj '' went on alone with firm determination despite all mockeries, fun, scoldings & challenges. Organized Health Checkups, by Gynecologist for the needy & unprivileged women weekly. Provided them free medical treatment along with recommended medicines.