Dubai-based Indian teen provides sanitary pads to underprivileged girls in rural Maharashtra

Akshay Kumar's 2018 movie, Padman awoke millions of women and men alike to break free from the taboo of menstruation and the need for menstrual hygiene. The movie, which was a source of inspiration for all, was a hit even among the social sphere and public figures took to social media posting pictures themselves with a pad on one hand in what they call #PadManChallenge, spreading the awareness even further. And this chain of inspiration proved very much alive as a 13-year-old Dubai-based girl is said to have adopted 250 girls from rural Maharashtra and donated sanitary napkins to them. 

According to reports, the 13 year-old girl, Riva Tulpule, is said to have been inspired by the movie Padman, a biopic based on Arunachalam Muruganantham who was said to have devised low cost sanitary pads for women in rural areas villages. 

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Riva Tulpule, whose family hails from Maharashtra managed to collect funds for the cause in Dubai in the last few months. Around Diwali time, Riva appealed to people in Dubai to donate money for the cause and within a short span, she managed enough sum to buy sanitary pads for 250 girls, she said.

She is said to have flown down to India last week and distributed about one-year stock of sanitary pads to girls from schools in Sahapur taluka on Saturday. 
        
"I saw Padman some months back and came to know about problems faced by girls during the days of their periods. I immediately decided to do something for girls living in villages in India, specially Maharashtra," she said.
        
The Class 8 student said she also discussed her idea with Konkan Graduate's constituency MLC Niranjan Davkhare during his visit to Dubai, and he encouraged her to take it forward.

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The napkins were distributed by the teenager at a function organised by Davkhare's NGO 'Samanvay Pratishthan', which works for social causes.

"Riva Tulpule a 8th Standard student from Dubai, this Diwali decided to do something special & took up an initiative to adopt 250 girls from rural Maharashtra and support them with full year of Sanitary Pads....," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator said in a tweet.