From a single pad to a whole range

The Sparkle story started with a simple science experiment in a little kitchen where we made our first sanitary napkin. We used a homemade die and paper lamination machine, manually cut up banana fibers using scissors and cooked them in a pressure cooker to make them soft and absorbent!

After six months of trial and error, we had our first Sparkle pad. Now that our dreams had taken a physical form, we had to scale up, and we knew that no kitchen would be big enough to hold the size of our aspirations. We developed an in-house automatic fiber chopping machine and invested in technology to automate some of the laborious steps of the production process.

We know that women have to deal with different flows during their periods, from the first day’s gushes of blood to the last day’s unexpected stains. So, we experimented and researched until we created a whole range of natural sanitary napkins with a mixture of different materials. But we still had one major problem. Our pads were expensive compared to conventional and popular plastic-based pads. We couldn’t compromise on being eco-friendly or the quality of our product, so we went back to the lab.

Finally, after almost two and half years, we created pads that could be sold at just Rs 59 per box of seven pads. We had finally come closer to eliminating one of the biggest barriers to sustainability- the high cost of products. As we grow, we continue to work hard towards developing even more sustainable and affordable sanitary pads to make sure they are accessible for everyone.

The Lives We’ve Changed

Our objective was never just to sell pads, we wanted to touch people’s lives to create change, and we never forgot that. So, when our pads were ready for sale, we started the ‘Buy One Give One’ initiative through which every time we sell a banana fiber pad online, we donate a pad to underprivileged women who could not afford it.

This wasn’t enough though, because menstruation is still a topic that is considered a taboo. Cultural and social stigma prevents young girls and women from getting information about how to manage their periods safely and hygienically. With the help of gynecologists, volunteers and community members we conducted awareness seminars in rural communities so that girls can learn to treat menstruation as a healthy part of their lives.

The next challenge that we took on was sanitation workers’ safety and the proper disposal of pads. We came up with an eco-friendly disposable bag that women could use to dispose of their soiled sanitary napkins. We started providing individual disposal bags made with corn based bio-plastic with every pad for hassle-free and safe disposal of used sanitary pads.

We wanted to give back to the community, and we had made a good head start in that direction. That’s when the COVID 19 pandemic hit and most of our initiatives had to be put on hold temporarily. Migrants and daily wage workers were walking miles to reach their hometowns, and we realized that these women needed us now more than ever. Many NGOs provided food and water to migrants, but no one had considered sanitary products. Periods didn’t stop during the pandemic, so neither did we. We gave away over 100,000 sanitary pads to women and young girls affected by the pandemic.

We founded Sparkle to promote gender equality, improve menstrual health, support circular economy and reduce plastic pollution by making sustainable, plastic-free and chemical-free sanitary pads affordable and accessible for everyone.

We will continue to keep this Sparkle story going until we can include every single woman in our story by being a part of their lives. We sincerely thank everyone who helped us get this far: our team members, volunteers, NGO partners, community members and most importantly, our customers, for choosing sustainable period products and helping us build a better world.

We hope that you will continue to be a part of our journey.

The post The Sparkle Story: Our First Year & First Chapter appeared first on Ignite the Spark.

You do? Then you’d probably also remember the sudden hush in the room, your embarrassed mom snatching it from your fingers, you standing there wondering what the ‘offending’ thing was.

Similar scenarios have been played out in many of our lives. Because of such situations, menstruation becomes an entry in the book of taboo topics, never to be mentioned in public, never to be respected as part of a biological process as natural as breathing.

On average, girls start menstruating at the age of 12. Isn’t it better to prepare them mentally for their periods and the changes in their bodies by having a conversation with them much earlier? When talking to a young girl about these, though, it’s necessary to keep a few things in mind.

Never Refrain From Giving Information.

You may feel awkward answering probing questions about certain topics, but it’s better to answer every period-related query with the appropriate amount of detail since these questions would invariably lead to the bigger topic of reproduction, where you would want to be as transparent with them as possible at that age. Not telling them about it when they are inquisitive would cause them to harbour negative feelings about the topic of conversation.

That doesn’t mean you have to unload all the information about menstruation on your child in one go. You may begin by telling them the basics of periods, covering the idea of menstrual cycles and why we use sanitary products. Gradually, you can introduce them to the concept of hormones, explain to them that the change in the levels of oestrogen and progesterone cause women to get periods. You can follow it up with complications in periods and how to deal with them. See this conversation through, piece by piece, one step at a time, until you make the topic understood.

Keep The Conversation Natural.

Though menstruation is a serious topic, a discussion about menstruation shouldn’t sound like a biology lecture to your daughter, but rather a conversation aimed to educate them. It doesn’t have to be a forced, formal sit-down conversation with your child; rather it should be as easy as striking a conversation with them about a pad commercial that you see on TV. Ask them what they know about pads and periods, then steer the conversation from there. The more casual you are, the more comfortable they will feel talking to you. A comfortable atmosphere also allows them to freely ask questions without having to worry about being inappropriate or reprimanded for their curiosity.

Be Practical About Period Issues They Might Face.

Don’t you sometimes get upset that no one told you that it’s okay if your period blood isn’t always red? Or that it’s normal for women to go through digestive problems while on their period? Or that extreme fatigue and weakened immunity are okay during menstruation? We, as women, have faced years in agony as we keep realizing so many essential bits of information about periods that weren’t given to us when we first started menstruating. 

The least we can do is talk to young girls about these issues and be practical about it. Tell them what life as a menstruating woman is really like and let them know that what they are facing is completely normal. 

Let Them Know That It’s Okay To Talk To You.

Let your child know that what they are feeling is natural and all their questions about periods will be answered, regardless of their gender. We need to be the change we wish to see; take that first step, speak up and have a conversation about menstruation.

The post Let’s Make Talking To Young Girls About Menstruation Normal appeared first on Ignite the Spark.

Periods And Lockdown For Migrant Women

Due to lack of work during these testing times, the migrant women are left with no choice but to move back to their native lands. The non-functioning public transport adds to their inconvenience as they now have to resort to travelling hundreds of miles on foot to reach their hometowns, some even along with their infants. This unexpected turn of events has rendered them bereft of their meal, let alone the purchase of a quality sanitary napkin. This alarming insight is what made Sparkle work closely with NGOs to help women who were within reach.

A Helping Hand

Sparkle joined hands with multiple NGOs who have been working tirelessly to provide aid to people in need during this lockdown. Although these NGOs are doing an exceptional job by providing people with daily essentials such as food, water and medical supplies, the pressing issue of menstrual hygiene was not being addressed. We, at Sparkle, took it to our hearts and decided to donate free pads to non-containment zones with the help of these NGOs. They have managed to donate 15,000 pads through Saath Charitable Trust in Gujarat, and 90,000 pads through Goonj within Maharashtra. They were additionally aided by volunteers from the United World Foundation with the packing of the pads.

A Pandemic Shouldn’t Affect Your Menstrual Hygiene

The pads we provide are made of natural raw materials such as bamboo fibre, banana fibre and corn starch. These are not just eco-friendly but more importantly, cause no ill effects to the body. The bamboo fibre and corn starch make a soft pad which doesn’t harm the skin while the banana fibre core makes sure that one does not leak while indulging in any activity. This helps the migrant women, who are travelling to their destination, as they do not have the luxury of maintaining menstrual hygiene on the go.

In such difficult times, it is the need of the hour for us to reach out to those women who cannot afford to purchase quality menstrual products amid the lockdown to live their lives in ease and comfort. Sparkle is driven by all means in alleviating the misery caused for women during these distrustful times.  We are of the firm belief that ‘any action, no matter how minuscule it is, is better than no action at all.’

The post This Pandemic, Let’s Spread Love appeared first on Ignite the Spark.

Here are a few reasons as to why we need your help in accomplishing our overarching idea for India’s women:

The Question Is, Why?

Quite often, when we hear about initiatives to aid other sections of the society, the question that comes to our mind is, ‘Why should I?’. The answer to this question lies in the hearts of young girls from rural India who do not have access to basic period products. As a result, they are forced to discontinue their schooling once they attain puberty, are detained at their homes, and are cut off from their schoolmate and friend circles. What’s worse, is that their dreams unwittingly come to an end, even before they can begin. Hence, the idea behind this is that you don’t have to do it; but if you can do it and save a girl’s future, then the question becomes – ‘Why not?’

The Extraordinary Mind

A human mind is a beautiful place – it can come up with stigmas and criticisms on the spot, but at the same time, it can also leave room for curbing these in the future. Years ago, menstruation was considered to be a disease that was not to be spoken about. People never considered normalizing the fact that every woman menstruates and that it is just a biological process. But today, there are people all over the country trying to revolutionize the concept of menstruation, undo the stigma attached to it, and make natural period products available to girls everywhere. Sparkle’s ‘Buy One, Give One’ initiative aims at strengthening this aspect of the community and ensuring that young girls can have equal opportunities to reach their full potential at school. At the end of the day, life isn’t only about ourselves; it is about helping others as well, isn’t it?

The Effortless Effort

Through Sparkle’s ‘Buy One Give One’ initiative, all one needs to do is buy Sparkle pads for themselves. With every pad purchased, the company donates a pad to a girl in need. Made of natural raw materials such as bamboo fibre, corn starch and banana fibre, Sparkle pads are sustainable and do not cause harm to you or the environment around you. Furthermore, it also helps the farmers who are involved in the cultivation of these crops! Therefore, your switch from synthetic pads that are made of plastic to natural plant-fibre based ones is an effortless way of contributing to the environment as well as helping local communities on the whole.

Going The Extra Mile

It is okay to put your priorities first, but it is definitely not okay to stay oblivious to the problems faced by people around you. India is an agrarian economy, and it is our social responsibility to go the extra mile in helping our country’s farmers and their families. Sparkle aims at developing a circular economy by using ingredients that come from nature and go back into nature in the most favorable way.

Go Places With Good Deeds

It is easy to stay indifferent and ignorant, but with every good deed, something good happens in the world, and that’s what is important. Small deeds like these tend to create a positive ripple effect on the economy and its people. It will definitely come back to us in some way or the other. Thus, why be the sister who never cared, when you can be the sister who brought a smile to another face? Give back with Sparkle!

The post The Chain Of Helping Hands appeared first on Ignite the Spark.