Fundraising to Provide Reusable Menstrual Pads for the Needy

By Mei Kuan 

As one of the top 15 representing Malaysia in the recent Mrs. World Peace 2021 with a subsidiary title of Mrs Millennium, Sangeetha Veloo is using her platform to collaborate with the local NGO, Perak Women for Women Society (PWW) to serve the community. 

One of the initiatives is the ongoing fundraising project to purchase 500 packs of reusable menstrual cloths as sanitary napkin pads for needy women in Malaysia especially in Perak.

Aimed to raise RM14,830, this online fundraising campaign kicked off on March 1.

“Women and girls around the world face the impacts of not having access to menstrual products and reproductive education. These extreme financial challenges leave many unable to afford conventional sanitary products, causing them to turn to less safe alternatives such as newspapers, plastic bags, and socks to manage their monthly menstrual periods. This could cause reproductive diseases as a result of unhygienic menstrual care. Absence from school, decreased opportunities for socioeconomic mobility and loss of dignity are only a few of the struggles faced by those living in period poverty. All these struggles faced by women out there have inspired me to fight period poverty, to take a stand to empower these women and improve their futures,” Sangeetha explained to Ipoh Echo.

Having joined several beauty pageants over the years with 11 titles to her name, the recent Mrs. World Peace 2021 marked the very first international pageant Sangeetha competed in.

The Ipoh girl shared, “A pageant platform is an integral part of becoming a contestant and a reigning queen once you win the title that you are after! Becoming a contestant or a titleholder for a pageant gives you a stage to stand on to bring a certain cause or issue to light. Participating in pageantry is about more than just a crown and sash; your voice and your actions can influence so many more people than you realize, and having a sparkly hat and sash can help to amplify anything that you want to bring to light.” 

“Everyone either has a cause or has heard a story that pulls on your heartstrings and makes you want to help as much as humanly possible. This is exactly what having a platform can do! By championing a cause, having a platform provides you with the opportunity to make a difference. Even though you may feel that your impact is small, once you become a titleholder, it is very much so amplified on a local, state, national, and international level!” she added.

Here’s her advice for all the girls out there with voices in advocacy: “The world needs young leaders to rise up, speak out, and inspire change now more than ever before. Use your voice and influence to create powerful change for the generation of girls to come.”

To donate for the good cause, visit this link.

Meanwhile, PWW is a registered, apolitical, non profitable and non-governmental organisation set up in 2003 to enhance the status and lives of women in Perak irrespective of their race, religion and social background. To learn more, visit its Facebook page.

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