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What are periods?

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Let alone menstrual hygiene, the menstrual cycle is thought about to be a huge taboo. It is considered as something unclean or dirty in Indian society. It is rightly said that cleanliness and order are not the matter of instinct, they are matters of education, and like most great things, you must cultivate an interest for them. This is absolutely true for menstrual hygiene and is considered to be of paramount importance. When I was leading a menstrual hygiene drive, I still remember all the young girls being sceptical about raising their questions related to this topic. It was heartbreaking to see that many of them were unaware about menstrual hygiene and had stereotypical questions like “ “aisa bhi hota hai “,” ham dukaan mein jaake bhi yeh maang sakte hai?” popping up their brains. I was literally broken when I got to know that these females were not bold enough to walk upto the chemists and ask for sanitary napkins. It was then the concept of teaching menstrual hygiene to all the females as a part of compulsory education struck my mind.

As it’s rightly said that charity begins from home so I educated my younger sister and all my staff members about the same. My sister was in grade 8th when she experienced her first period. She was unable to make out what was happening to her and approached me. As a vigilant and responsible elder sister, I wrapped my hands around her waist and explained to her the entire process which a female body undergoes. I not only enlightened her about this unique process but also gave her the vital message of correct menstrual hygiene. I calmed her down, told her to place a sanitary napkin properly covering the sides and to wipe her vagina with a soft tissue after using the loo. I further mentioned that these pads should be carefully disposed by wrapping them into a tissue or a newspaper and finally wash her hands with an antiseptic hand wash after changing pads.

Thus, this is how I was instrumental in imparting knowledge about menstrual hygiene and bringing a change in the society at a grassroots level. In a nutshell, I would say that the manner in which a girl is made aware about menstruation and its associated changes is quite important. As hygiene during menstruation is an inevitable part of a woman’s life, firmly believe that girls should be educated about the same from the very beginning and should not hesitate to express their queries.

By Vanshika Singal & Vaasvi Singal

When is my next period?

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First periods come with a lot of how’s, what’s and why’s. Girls have a lot of curiosity when it comes to their first period. It is very important to know about menstruation and to normalise talking and educating about it among both boys and girls. There are no secrets to be kept when it comes to menstruation. Every girl at the brink of puberty deserves to know what awaits her and how to take good and hygienic care of her. The more proper knowledge, the less the panic. The basic concern that every girl has when they get to know what periods are is ‘What should I do when I get my first period?’ The key is not to worry or panic.

Getting periods is a sign of maturation. Getting periods means that you are healthy and are growing well. Most girls get their first period somewhere between the ages of 10 and 14, with an average of just over 12 years old. During periods, a small amount of blood comes out of your vagina. This lasts for at-least 4-8 days depending on every individual.

Firstly, you will need a sanitary pad. It might be made of cotton or might be synthetic and it comes in different shapes and sizes. It is better to be prepared beforehand to avoid panic during your first period. Make a period kit, which will be easy to carry everywhere with you so that you can immediately use it when you have your first period. The kit must include clean underwear, 2-3 sanitary pads and some toilet paper. Place or stick the pad on the underwear in such a manner that the absorbent middle part of the pad exactly covers the opening of your vagina. If you have anything in mind about periods don’t hesitate to ask your mother/father/elder sister.

Another question that arises is that ‘What if you don’t have a pad with you?’

If you are at your home then ask your mom/dad/any elder siblings for a pad.

If you are somewhere out ask any friend/aunty/didi around you for a pad.

These days there are a variety of menstrual products available like:

  • Disposable pads
  • Pantyliners
  • Reusable Pads
  • Tampons
  • Menstrual Cups

Any of these can be used during your period according to your comfort.

First periods can be quite intimidating but with the right knowledge and guidance, it can be dealt without any panic.

By Diya Bansal

Hallmark ensures purity of gold, not the brand

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Gold jewellery purchased from a branded shop does not mean purity of gold if he is not a Hallmark certified jeweler.

Purchase gold and jewellery from a Hallmark Certified jewelers, certified by Bureau of Indian Standards, Govt. of India as only Hallmarks ensures purity of gold.

CityNeeds – How does it work?

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CityNeeds.info is an online platform that lists registered NGOs serving across 5 social welfare sectors in a city. It was launched on 27th February 2021 (World NGO Day). Since its inception, it has aided NGOs to get local donors and support by making it easy to get access to resources. The core philosophy of CityNeeds is based on ‘Charity begins at home’. It provides a link between local donors and NGOs.

How CityNeeds works

Step 1
NGOs register on the CityNeeds website, after providing the due details. Once certified and listed on the website, the NGOs can explain their cause. They can list the requirements and ask for aid. The aid can be in the form of monetary donations, or appeals for volunteers or food and clothing. CityNeeds also provides NGOs with reliable technical, marketing, and liaison support.

Step 2
Once a new cause is raised on the website, CityNeeds team does a thorough cross-verification of the information and the case. This includes collecting supporting documents to verify if the goal amount matches the need of the cause. When all the facts are verified, the cause is uploaded to the public.

Step 3
The links to the cause are shared across social networks with local donors and communities. This allows more and more people to know about the cause. By clicking this link, people will be able to see more information about the cause and the documents in its support. They can also see how much of the goal amount has been raised so far.
After reading about the cause, people can donate directly through the CityNeeds website. These donations can also be made anonymously. Local volunteers can also register themselves for causes such as blood donation camps, or food and clothing distribution drives.

Step 4
Once the funds have been raised, the contributions made to the website are transferred directly to the NGO’s bank account. The NGO puts in these funds for the cause and then shares a formal Utilization Report of the money raised. This provides a verified report of how the donated amount was used by the NGO. Thus, from start to end, CityNeeds works along with the partner NGOs to ensure the donation process is easy for both donors as well as NGOs. It ensures that all donations reach the beneficiaries in a timely manner.

Notable Achievements of CityNeeds

  1. In Feb 2021, CityNeeds conducted the 1st-ever NGO Expo of Punjab, where 45+ NGOs and 10 Departments of District Administration of Ludhiana had participated.
  2. In the fight against COVID, CityNeeds has organized 704 Vaccination Camps with its partner NGOs, and gained the appreciation of District Administration, Ludhiana.
  3. CityNeeds organized 1st-Ever NGO Carnival in October 2021, where 25 NGOs in Ludhiana held an exhibition-cum-sale of products by underprivileged people
  4. In just 10 months since its founding, CityNeeds executed 100+ crowdfunding campaigns with over 65% success rate
  5. CityNeeds represented 15 NGO partners to bag a financial grant of 42 lacs under Punjab Nirman Program

Crowdfunding & Benefits of Online Fund Raising

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Crowdfunding is when the public is asked to donate to a specific cause for charity. It is a method of collecting money towards a goal amount through mass appeals to the public. Crowdfunding for a cause lasts for a specific period of time. It can be a couple days or a few weeks.

How Does Crowdfunding Work?
For example, in situations like emergency medical expenses or higher education fees, the bills can be very high. In that case, the goal amount can be too high for one person to fulfill. But with crowdfunding, small amounts of money is collected from a large number of people. Every little contribution gets collected and added into a fund. This allows the goal amount to be raised collectively without a heavy financial burden on anyone.

Benefits of Online Crowdfunding
Today, crowdfunding is done with the help of online platforms. These are websites that share the information about the case and also provide an easy payment method for donating. CityNeeds.info is one such platform where you can find the causes which need urgent attention and donate to them.

Online Crowdfunding can have many advantages over the traditional forms of funding, like bank loans. Here are a few reasons why you should do crowdfunding for your cause:

To Arrange Emergency Funds
Often, crowdfunding cases are time-sensitive, meaning that the funds need to be raised in a short time. For example, an emergency medical operation, or arranging school fees. Finding a single big donor to the cause can take a long time. But crowdfunding helps you to reach out to a large number of people and arrange funds collectively on a short notice.

To Avoid Future Debt
An important benefit of crowdfunding is that unlike traditional funding methods like bank loans, there is no payback involved. The amount collected is directly contributed by a large number of people, and it is done with the mission to help others in need. Crowdfunding is a good option for those who are unable to repay huge medical debt or student loans in future.

To Reach More People
Usually in traditional funding methods, only close friends and family are aware of the need to donate. But in online crowdfunding, the reach is unlimited. Online crowdfunding platforms provide a link which can be easily shared across a large network of people. By using social media networks like Instagram and Twitter, this link can even reach a worldwide audience.

To Save Energy and Effort
In online crowdfunding, a specific website link is provided. This link contains all the facts of the case as well as the link to donate. Because all the information is directly available to anybody who opens the link, it saves the energy of explaining it repeatedly. It also allows people to spend more time focusing on the cause rather than coordinating with the donors.

To Protect Personal and Financial Details
Sometimes, people can hesitate to share their personal and financial details in public. Online crowdfunding platforms can provide a way to respect the privacy of people. The details of both the donors and the beneficiary can remain hidden and anonymous. This allows people to donate to a cause close to their heart without their identities being publicly shared.

7 NGOs in Ludhiana Doing Phenomenal Work

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Ludhiana is a land of generosity. There are several non- governmental organizations in Ludhiana which are working for the betterment of the lives of its residents. These Top NGOs in Ludhiana have impacted the society around them.

In this blog, we are highlighting some of the these NGOs in Ludhiana to amplify their work.

1. Nishkam Sewa Ashram Trust
The oldest NGO in this list, Nishkam Sewa Ashram has a long legacy of working in the social development sector. It was founded in 1975 by Shr Sarwan Kumar Ji and others and since then, it has continuously worked for uplifting the needy in Ludhiana. It works in several sectors, including care for the elderly, education for the poor, and maintenance of cow sheds. This NGO also regularly conducts activities like food collection drives, free vocational training, and clothing distribution to the poor.

2. EkNoor Sewa Kendra
Ek Noor Sewa Kendra is a registered NGO in Ludhiana since 2014. Its main mission is to provide food and medical aid to the underprvileged sections of the society. The organization achieves this goal by collecting small-scale donations from a large group of Ludhiana residents. One of their biggest ongoing projects is Ek Noor Neki di Thali, through which they feed more than 300 people everyday. The highlight of this project is that this food is not provided to the people for free, but a nominal charge of RS. 20 is taken with the view of preserving the dignity of the people. Ek Noor Sewa Kendra also works to provide medical aid by adopting patients with expensive kidney and liver treatments. Recently, it has completed a one-month milestone of the launch of its charitable venture- Neki da Hospital.

3. Jeet Foundation
Established in 2010, Jeet Foundation was established with the goal of bringing women empowerment to actual practice in Ludhiana. This organization works to provide education and medical aid to children from poor families. It encourages children from slums to lead new lives by empowering them with regular and quality education. A major project headed by the organization is the management of 14 Vocational schools, where girls are taught skills like stitching, makeup, and basic computer skills. They are also offered placements at boutiques and salons across the city.

4. Asha Chinh Foundation
The Asha Chinh Foundation was established in 2016 in loving memory of Aaftaab Chawla. The organization has worked extensively to bring higher awareness regarding road safety and education to the streets of Ludhiana. It also provides financial aid to poor students for continuing their education despite their background. Presently, it is sponsoring the complete education expense of more than 50 meritorious students in Ludhiana. This organization has a long-term vision of adopting neglected government schools in Ludhiana. By developing the infrastructure and the quality of education in these schools, Asha Chinh Foundation aims to improve the future of Ludhiana.

5. The Rock Foundation
The Rock Foundation began as a family group in 2014 with sixteen close family and friends. Today, the group has more than 150 members. This foundation works to support the medical expenses and aid of people in need. It has adopted over 26 children from Ludhiana district who are suffering from Thalassemia and who require regular blood transfusions for all their lives. Every month, the foundation supports the cost of treatment for unknown patients in major hospitals across Ludhiana. Additionally, Rock Foundation runs several Ortho-Camps, where poor patients with severe bone deformities are given diagnosis and treatment.

6. Ek Jot Viklang School
Ek Jot Viklang School was established in 2010 with the aim to serve specially-abled children. The school provides day-care facilities for children who need special care and treatment due to their disability. At the school, these children are taught sign language, music, and stitching skills. The school also serves as a shelter and living space for disabled children who have been abandoned by their families.

7. Darpan- Centre for Autism
Darpan foundation works as an all-in-one safe space for children on the autism spectrum. Founded in 2005, this organization provides crucial tools for them to settle in life- including speech therapy, emotional therapy, and vocational training. The organization also holds seminars and workshops to raise social awareness about the Autism Spectrum and how to care for the children that come under it. This organization is also operating a special school and an early intervention unit for children with autism in Ludhiana.

Valentine’s Day Pledge

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Valentine's Day Pledge

Please pledge here to Donate Blood this year! Your contribution will help save someone’s life.

Follow the steps mentioned below:

  1. Fill your contact details
  2. Choose your Blood Group
  3. You will get your digital certificate on email id provided by you in 2-5 Minutes
  4. Share your Digital Certificate on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.
  5. Motivate others to become part of this social cause and save lives.

Your email address:

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