‘Menstrual Man’ motivates students to be social entrepreneurs
Don’t look for jobs. Look forward to creating them for many. Look for problems in the society and get down to working for them. The advice came for youngsters from ‘Menstrual Man’, Padma Shri Arunachalam Muruganantham during the AKTU’s programme in memory of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Himself engaged in welding doors and windows, Muruganantham is a social entrepreneur now. He is the inventor of low-cost sanitary pads in the country. But how did that happen?
Addressing students during the programme, Muruganantham said, “My experience with menstrual problems came when I saw my wife picking cloth and polythene from rags to be used during her periods. I realised it was unhygienic but not every woman could afford to buy the sanitary pads sold in markets.”
That’s when Muruganantham began his research. He bought a pack of sanitary pads – each pad costing `6. The man began to look for the raw material and the technology for making pads. Finally, he could manufacture sanitary pads made of wood pulp.
“This was biodegradable and chemical free — unlike the ones sold in the market. Each time I would experiment, I would test it on my wife and she would tell me whether it worked or not,” he said. Muruganantham, shared his technology that produces sanitary pads costing `2 each.
“UP is the only state where the government has shown interest and is taking the project forward to a great extent. The project here is expanding at panchayat levels, making women do the manufacturing and also earn profits,” he told. “I did a training of army people in Leh in manufacturing the low cost biodegradable sanitary pads,” he said.
Through his success story, he motivated youngsters to make a mark for themselves, encouraging them to become social entrepreneurs.