“NURTURING
A CULTURE OF
ECO-POSITIVITY”
About us
Maanushi Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Kumily, Kerala, which started its activities in December 2020. The founders started off their work with the idea of nurturing a voluntary collective that promotes sustainable practices and menstrual health education in the village. Currently, the foundation and its activities are run by a small team of spirited social workers, housewives, students, and volunteers with a vision for environmental conservation and gender equality. The projects run by the foundation are aimed at uplifting & empowering rural livelihoods in the most creative ways.
The foundation has also been focusing on driving sensitization campaigns on issues faced by rural women and on climate change-related concerns in the community. Along with conducting educational and awareness sessions on menstruation, the team is also working to implement economic activities for developing sustainable livelihood among marginalised groups.
Know more about how this journey began here.
Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web,
we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
– Chief Seattle, 1854
Our work:
Menstrual Health Awareness sessions
Income generation activities for rural women
“I hope that through Maanushi, we will be able to build a climate-resilient, ecologically sensitive, and empowered community that can take action to prevent and mitigate the crises that might arise due to changing land use patterns and climate conditions.
– Lakshmy Das, Co-Founder and President
In the area of gender, Maanushi hopes to bring women into the forefront of eco-positive activities in their communities by developing ownership and participation. When we normalise and destigmatise menstruation and sexual health, we bring back agency and help to build a community that relies on the spirit of sisterhood and empowerment.
With economic empowerment activities, Maanushi hopes to create independence that allows a human being to flourish completely- a primary requisite for positive mental health.”
Through both offline and online modes, the foundation has reached out to over 2500 young girls and women (as on Aug 2022) about sustainable menstruation and have distributed free, reusable cloth pad kits to over 800 menstruators- a total of 3200 reusable sanitary cloth pads.
In 2022, with the support of Adeeb and Shafeena Foundation, we reached out to 600 women and over 200 adolescent menstruators and distributed sustainable period products.
Members of Maanushi work as facilitators to conduct Menstrual Health Management (MHM) sessions for adolescents with the support of EcoFemme’s Pad for Pad outreach programme.
Know more about our activities here.
Along with the MHM sessions, a social entrepreneurship project that supports rural women to earn a livelihood has also been established by Maanushi Foundation.
“As a part of our interaction with the community at various levels, we came to realise that the pandemic has deeply affected the economic condition of people and this venture helps the community to sell handmade products (such as handmade soaps, homemade chocolates, multigrain health mix powder, pickles, etc.) pan-India.”
– K.L. Syamala, Member
The foundation currently runs an online store supported by Vibecity to market the handmade products made in the community. You can visit the shop here.
To register your interest in the subscription model, click here.
At Kumily, the foundation conducts various training programmes to equip individuals with new skills and knowledge.
-Nisha , treasurer
“We hope to raise a platform where individuals can empower themselves through learning, discussions, and activities that are eco-positive, gender-neutral and climate-sensitive.“
Know more about upcoming training sessions here.
We have a wide range of fair trade, chemical-free, and handmade products. Check them out below.
So far…
Take a look at the projects we have completed so far here.
Empowerment of women and local communities through implementation work, sensitization campaigns and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods can be an extremely wise and sustainable project investment.
– ‘Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Disaster and Climate Resilience’ by UNEP and PEDDR
Women have the potential to play a critical role in this process, as they use and manage land and other natural resources, while meeting water, food and energy needs in households and communities.
Empowerment brings ownership and innovation.
Stay in touch with us
Features: Maanushi in the NEWS
Check out all the features here.
- A feature about our work in Vikalpsangam. Click here to read.
- Eco Heroes in a Pandemic: Girls Speak Out at One World Festival featuring Lakshmy Das, Co-Founder of Maanushi Foundation.
~ Sohodeck, an Online News portal featured our work. Find it here.
We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.
– Howard Zinn
Maanushi Foundation 